Dear Future President,

When you take office, I hope one issue you will address is abortion. The country legalized abortion in 1973, however states have created their own restrictions regarding the law and have made it difficult for women to receive an abortion. Women’s rights are being limited and it is becoming harder in many states for women to make the decision that is right for them. The right for freedom of choice depicted by the federal law, is being suppressed by these state restrictions.

In the 1973 Roe v. Wade case, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the constitutional right for women to make their own personal medical decisions regarding abortion. After the Roe v. Wade case, there was a near elimination of deaths from the procedure and the mortality rate of legal abortions declined from 4.1 to 0.6 per 100,000 abortions according to the NARAL Pro-Choice America. This is due to the fact that women no longer feel the need get the procedure done illegally.

The procedure is capable of benefiting women in many ways like improving mental health, physical health, and economic future. According to the NARAL Pro-Choice America, in 2012, researches from the University of California, San Francisco, examined the differences in mental health of women who had received the procedure versus those who were unable. Ninety-seven percent of women felt that they made the right decision after having the procedure. They also found that sixty-seven percent of women who were unable to get the procedure wished that they had. They also state that many of those women who were unable to have the procedure were three times more likely to fall below the poverty line two years after having the child.

Abortion gives women the ability to choose the life that is best for them and will be best for their future. By allowing state laws to apply restrictions, you can put the mother’s life at risk, and it violates the woman’s right to choose which is the legal decision Roe v. Wade decided.

Many of those supporting restrictions believe the date in which a woman can receive an abortion should before the legal date decided in Roe v. Wade case. Many states like North Dakota and Arkansas have drastically reduced the time period in which a women can receive an abortion. Based on expert medical testimony, the legal decision for Roe v. Wade stated twenty four weeks as the appropriate time range in which a woman can receive an abortion. According to the New York Times, North Dakota reduced the time period to six weeks and Arkansas reduced it to twelve weeks. These are two example in which restrictions have been applied inappropriately and are restricting women’s freedoms.

Women should have the unrestricted ability to choose what happens to their body and their future. That is why states should not have the ability to apply additional restrictions regarding abortion. Being a girl myself, I want to know that if needed, I have the ability to make the choice for myself no matter where I live. I don’t want to have the fear that I will have to jump through drastic hoops to make the decision that is best for me. So future President, please help and stand up for the women of this country.

Sincerely,

Savannah H.