Abortion is constantly under attack by rightwing people who call themselves “pro-life,” so it’s no surprise to learn that more anti-autonomy Bills have passed in the U.S. This time lawmakers are using Down Syndrome and a variety of disabilities as reasons to limit a woman’s right to choose what’s best for her body.
Lawmakers in West Virginia have approved SB 468, which would limit a woman’s ability to seek abortion in the event of chromosomal abnormalities such as Down Syndrome and a multitude of other disabilities. This right-restricting move comes right on the heels of similar laws that prohibit abortion beyond 15-weeks pregnancy. Also called “Unborn Child with Down Syndrome Protection and Education Act,” SB 468 would make it effectively illegal for a woman in West Virginia to make this incredibly personal medical decision, and it would essentially force women to carry unwanted pregnancies that are specifically diagnosed as having defects or anomalies. Individuals who are against this bill believe the language is too broad, and could go as far as prohibiting abortion in cases where the fetus has severe defects that end in early death, pain and misery.
Under the guise of being “pro-life” supporters of this type of restriction believe that they are championing for people with chromosomal defects and various disabilities, but instead they are supporting the direct attack on the bodily autonomy of women. This sort of flagrant picking-and-choosing of how women should exercise their rights only opens the door to further restriction. If a woman isn’t allowed to seek abortion in cases where many would and do choose abortion, then eventually she may not be allowed to seek legal abortion at all.
When given the chance to abort a fetus that has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome or other defects, most women choose abortion. The availability of amniocentesis testing supposedly makes it easier for women to make these medical decisions for themselves and for their families. What the state of West Virginia is aiming to do is to prevent mothers from deciding, from choosing — from making their own decisions with what happens to their bodies, therefore joining alongside other states in the coordinated attack on the personal freedoms of women specifically. Again, this is nothing new.
A woman’s reasons for seeking abortion is never, under any circumstances, anyone else’s business but her own. This latest attack on bodily autonomy in West Virginia is not only too broadly defined, but it’s exploitative to people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. What supporters of this bill are effectively saying is “Get an abortion for any reason you want, except for when the fetus is defective. Then you’re going to be forced to keep it.” This is as grotesque and despicable as forcing victims of rape and molestation to carry their unwanted pregnancies to term. It’s sending the message that women are incubators whose rights are decided upon by people who have clouded judgment due to their own biases.
This isn’t even about the children, and it shows
Not only is this attacking bodily autonomy, but it’s putting future disabled children directly in harm’s way. Statistics overwhelmingly illustrate that children with developmental and physical disabilities are more likely to become victims of abuse. Forcing women to carry children that they don’t want is also a contributing factor to child abuse. So when you’re forcing a woman to carry a fetus that she’d otherwise abort due to Down Syndrome or other disabilities, you’re basically creating the very environment that leads to child abuse. Laws like SB 468 are very clearly not designed with the welfare of these children in mind. Laws like these are merely designed to further control over women’s bodies while using the concept of children with disabilities in order to steal sympathy from people who — frankly — aren’t thinking critically.
Interest groups like those who push these types of laws don’t seem to realize (or care) that by restricting safe abortion options, they’re not preventing abortion at all. They’re just creating an environment in which women will seek unsafe abortion options. These people care more about the idea of saving children who don’t yet exist, than the very lives of the women who may be carrying them. That isn’t pro-life. That isn’t pro-child-with-disabilities. It’s pro-fascism. It’s pro-forced-birth and ultimately, it’s pro-abuse and pro-death.
Chelsea Hoffman is a true crime writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. She is best known for her coverage of missing people including the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann as well as the heartbreaking cases of Dylan Redwine, Heather Elvis and many others.
