It is no secret that the right wing wishes to restrict women’s
right to control their reproductive health. The onslaught is now
worse than ever. A report from the pro-choice group NARAL shows just
how bad the year 2011 was for women’s reproductive rights in the
United States.
Sixty-nine new anti-choice laws were enacted last year, the most
since 1999. These laws encompassed many types of methods to restrict
women from receiving the care they needed. Some require women to have
ultrasounds prior to an abortion, while other laws require the woman
to prove, ludicrously enough, that she is not seeking an abortion
because of the race or gender of the fetus. Also passed were laws
barring private insurance from covering the cost of an abortion.
In a separate study by the World Health Organization, it was found
that abortion rates are actually higher where the procedure is
illegal, with half of all abortions worldwide unsafe. All
progressives must defend reproductive rights.
