The United States is becoming increasingly divided and chaotic. American media: One year after the overthrow of the Roe v. Wade case, women | doctors | the United States
China News Service, June 25. According to comprehensive foreign media reports, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the "Roe v. Wade case" aimed at protecting women's right to abortion, it caused an uproar and exacerbated the division of American society. A year later, the US media noted that the field of health care in the United States "is becoming more and more divided and complex, resulting in widespread chaos".
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 1973 on the Roe v. Wade case, confirming that the US Constitution protects women's freedom to have abortions. However, on June 24, 2022 local time, the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade case, which means that women's right to abortion will no longer be protected by the US Constitution.
According to a report by Public Radio in the United States, over a year has passed and as many as a dozen states have enacted extremely strict abortion bans, with most states not setting exceptions for cases of rape or incest. At the same time, many people are facing legal challenges, such as in Texas, abortion service providers and those who provide assistance to patients seeking abortion after six weeks of pregnancy can be sued by ordinary citizens.
According to reports, this has resulted in approximately 22 million women, girls, and people of childbearing age living in multiple states where abortion is strictly restricted or completely inaccessible. In addition, due to the power of various states in the United States to prohibit abortion, some healthcare professionals have stated that they are "trapped by poorly drafted laws," and some laws classify abortion as a "crime," without considering how pregnant women may be inadvertently affected.
"Doctors and hospitals don't know how to operate, or rather work under dark clouds full of suspicion and hostility," said Kelly Baden, Vice President of Public Policy at American research firm Gumacher
A nationwide survey of obstetricians and gynecologists released on June 21st showed that about 40% of respondents reported facing limitations in operating abortions and emergency care related to pregnancy. In states where abortion is prohibited, 61% of practicing doctors express concerns about legal risks when making decisions regarding patient care.
The survey also showed that the majority of obstetricians and gynecologists interviewed stated that the overturning of the Roe v. Wade case has exacerbated pregnancy related mortality rates and exacerbated racial inequality in maternal health.
Recently, Texas resident Anna Zagarian shared her experience after amniotic fluid ruptured at 19 weeks of pregnancy. According to Agence France Presse, due to doctors in Texas not being able to perform abortions, she was forced to fly to Colorado for an abortion. She described the trip as "terrifying" and said, "I know I am at risk of infection, bleeding, or childbirth at any time."
Ushma Upadye, a public health social scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, pointed out that in the past year, many private groups have mobilized to help women with abortions, but after one or two years, their efforts will be "exhausted," and "this situation is clearly unsustainable.".