Dear Mrs. or Mr. President,

As a young woman in this country, I feel very strongly that the right to an abortion is a fundamental right of women everywhere, and should not even be up for question. It does not matter if the prospect of abortion goes against someone’s religious or even ethical beliefs; there is no justification to taking away a woman’s innate right to control what happens to her body.

Sex is a natural human habit. People have been doing it since the beginning of time, and there is nothing to suggest this will ever discontinue. Contrary to some people’s beliefs, sex is not an unholy act that should be stigmatized; however, too frequently, women are shamed for partaking in it. In reality, [consensual] sex is neither a poor decision nor something that warrants a serious consequence or result. While there are recommended precautions that can be taken to prevent pregnancy, they are not always effective. If a woman becomes impregnated and is not prepared, wanting, or able to carry a baby and raise that child to be a healthy adult, then by no means should she have to.

Unfortunately, there are reasons besides [consensual] sex that women have unwanted pregnancies; the most common being rape. Rape is not a complex issue: there is a perpetrator and a victim. No rape victim that has been impregnated by her abuser should ever have to carry a child that was the result of such an unexpected and traumatic experience. Besides the fact that pregnancy takes an extremely harsh toll on someone’s body and having the responsibility of another human is a massive undertaking, being forced to have your abuser’s child could also create an extremely complicated and resentful dynamic between the child and its mother, that is ultimately detrimental to both parties.

Teenage pregnancy is also a huge issue. Adolescence is one of the hardest and most vulnerable times in someone’s life, and as someone with still more learning and maturing ahead, it is unfair to force a teenager to become a primary caretaker and role model for another child. Teenage parents have a very low chance of obtaining a higher education due to these pregnancies, which can ultimately hinder their futures.

For women to be completely equal to men, they have to have complete autonomy over their bodies, period. This means, if a woman feels she is unable physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially unable or unwilling to support another human at that point in her life, then she does not have to. It is your job as president to ensure and protect the freedom of all women in this country.

Sincerely,

Sydney Gough