Photo: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
Tanya Atkinson
Tanya Atkinson
“As a young woman, I knew I was in danger physically with my ex-boyfriend and medically with the pregnancy, so I made the final decision to have the abortion.”—Mallory
Nearly one in four women will have an abortion in her lifetime. Every day, people across the country make their own decisions about their pregnancies for reasons that are deeply personal. Politics has no place in these decisions. Yet, if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court later this summer, abortion in Wisconsin could immediately become a crime at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the woman. This is because Wisconsin has a 172-year-old criminal abortion law that is still in place that could immediately go into effect if Roe is overturned.
Deciding if or when to become a parent is one of the most personal and life-changing decisions many people will make.
While we may have differing views about abortion, most of us can agree that we want our friends and family to be able to get the care they need when they need it. We don't want politicians to make these personal decisions for us or the people we care about.
The reality is laws and court rulings have serious consequences for people we love. The physicians and clinicians at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin are there for women, counseling and caring for them.
“As a physician, I am dedicated to protecting the health of my patients as well as assuring they have access to the care they need when they need it. If Roe is overturned and abortion is criminalized in Wisconsin, my ability to care for persons with high-risk pregnancies that pose a threat to their health, those who have been victimized, or those experiencing miscarriage or other pregnancy complications could put me and my colleagues at risk for prison time. This is unconscionable. Patients need and deserve to have access to safe and timely medical care, free of political interference.”— Dr. Kathy King
Abortion can be a complex, deeply personal, private decision that each person must be able to make for themselves, taking into account their own values, responsibilities, and life circumstances. Take it from the patients who have shared what it’s like to be in their shoes:
“My husband and I, with our faith in God, made our decision. It wasn’t anyone else’s place to decide. I had an abortion to preserve my health, and likely save my life. I never imagined I would have to make that decision”—Ginger
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“I found out I was pregnant two years ago— recently single, a week into a new job, alone in a new city — I never questioned what I would do. My very first thought was that I wanted to die. My next was that I needed to have an abortion. Risking my recovery and giving up everything I have worked for wasn’t an option. I put my mental health first.”—Leah
Banning Will Only Make Abortion Unsafe
We can't know every person's circumstances. What we do know is banning abortions won’t stop them in Wisconsin or in any other state. What it will do is make it unsafe.
It is hard for me to imagine how anyone entrusted with elected office believes they know better than Mallory, Tracy, Leah or Ginger and would deny people the ability to safely access time–sensitive health care that people need. But that is exactly what Republicans in the state Legislature are doing by refusing to repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion law.
We have a choice to support a different vision of Wisconsin’s future, which is also supported by the vast majority of Wisconsinites. That vision represents a future where everyone has the ability to make their own health care decisions and access the health care they need—including abortion.
We invite everyone who wants continued access to essential health care and the freedom to make your own health care decisions to contact your legislators and hold them accountable. Demand they repeal Wisconsin’s 172-year-old abortion ban.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin will fight to protect access to safe and legal abortion. No Matter What. Learn more @ ppawi.org.
