Here’s what Cardiff’s international students think about the US Abortion Laws

Everything you need to know about the US Abortion Laws, and what the US Cardiff students think about it.

abortion laws cardiff cardiff international exclusive student the tab cardiff university of cardiff

The USA, also known as the land of the free, is now looking to restrict abortion laws in several states.

Currently, access to abortion is protected under the international human rights law, according to the U.N.

The matter has always gotten a lot of political attention and remains to do so. Presently, states within the US have been divided politically on this issue of restricting abortion. Several Republican-led states have implemented limits in recent years, defying the Roe decision. The Supreme Court is reportedly set to overturn the Roe v Wade decision.

What is Roe v Wade?

Roe v. Wade, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Abortion was legalised in 1970 in the US, it established women’s right to abortion, which would give states a free hand to limit or ban terminations.

In the current system, each of the 50 United States has at least one abortion centre. Overturning the law would mean the closure of these clinics that are allowed to perform legal abortions.

Around 73 million induced abortions take place worldwide each year. Six out of 10 (61%) of all unintended pregnancies, and 3 out of 10 (29%) of all pregnancies, end in induced abortion. If abortion becomes illegal, it would lead to an increase in terminations where doctors are not well enough trained to perform them. This leads to severe health issues in women like health complications and maternal mortalities. It can lead to physical and mental health complications and social and financial burdens for women, communities, and health systems and can even result in maternal mortalities.

What do Americans at Cardiff University think about the issue? The Tab, Cardiff spoke to three students of colour about what the change in abortion means to them, here’s what they had to say:

Maddie Graham

Maddie, a first-year chemistry student at Cardiff University says: “I think abortion is a human right and a lifesaving medical procedure. I think the attempt to restrict abortion is an unconscionable attack on women and will lead to increased death via unsafe or “back-alley” abortions, as well as opening the door for criminalizing things like miscarriage, birth control, the morning after pill, IVF, and other attempts to control women- all things various states have already attempted to do and can now do more easily without federal restriction in the way.”

Lucy Daveridge

The first-year psychology student says: “Bodily autonomy is a basic human right. The eminent possibility that this right will be taken away in many states is an important issue. Many women require abortions for their safety, which Roe v Wade permitted (such as being allowed to abort in the 3rd trimester if necessary). Even if it isn’t about their safety, but other circumstances, such as not having a suitable home environment, a woman should be allowed to choose at the end of the day. It is her body.”

Tosin Bey                       

When asked about the impact of the overturn of the Roe v Wade law provided Tosin Bey, a MA in International Public Relations and Global Communication said: It creates a “greater divide between conservatives and liberals, more “home” abortions which are incredibly unsafe. Possibly an increase in the number of women taking birth control. As Americans, we are granted the right to have autonomy over our bodies and currently, the government is trying to take control of that autonomy. So I do believe in abortion because I don’t believe that the government should have the right to restrict a women’s choice in her own body granted to us by the court decision in Roe v Wade.”

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