And that is every woman's right.
And it concerns me a bit that we focus so
much internationally on unsafe abortion and on the health consequences of women
not having access to safe abortion services, when I think the conversation
should also very much be about what happens when women don't have the right
to make the choices that they know are good and right for their lives.
It's interesting, as someone who has focused primarily on global
abortion issues, I often present a pie chart
that shows the proportion of the world's population that lives in countries where
abortion is restricted for a variety of different reasons.
There are a handful of countries where abortion is completely illegal for
no reason.
Even to save a mother's life, would abortion be committed.
Very few countries.
Then there is another chunk of countries where abortion is permitted,
only to save a woman's life, then for health reasons, then for
mental health reasons, then more broadly expanded to socioeconomic reasons.
And then there's about 40% of the world's population
who live in countries where abortion is quote, unquote unrestricted.
But in that 40% falls the United States of America.
And we know very well that while, up until now,
a woman has not had to state a reason for
seeking abortion, there is a gestational
age limit that has been established by
the decision Planned Parenthood versus Casey,
which essentially says that viability is
the line up until which a women can receive an abortion.
Now, most doctors, most obstetricians and gynecologists interpret that
as 24 weeks but that is entirely up to the medical establishment.