Abortion Clinics and Planned Parenthood: Protests, Funding and Service

This article discusses the controversies surrounding women's right to abortion, including landmark cases, funding issues, and recent events. It also explores the obligations of states to safeguard women's right to health and reproductive freedom.

Running head: ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Abortion Clinics and Planned Parenthood: Protests, Funding and Service
Name of the Student
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Author Note

1ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Historical events..............................................................................................................................3
Timeline...........................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

2ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Introduction
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights obligates States to safeguard
the right to life and such obligation has been expanded to undertake measures that safeguards
women prevent unwanted pregnancies. The expansion of such obligation also requires states to
ensure that in order to prevent such unwanted pregnancies women are not subjected to unsafe
abortions that are likely to jeopardize their lives. International law has stipulated provisions that
assure that women are entitled to their right to the “highest attainable standard of physical and
mental health”. The right to health includes right of women to exercise control over their body
which further entails their reproductive and sexual freedom. Therefore, their right to health can
be construed as an obligation upon the governments to undertake reasonable measures that
ensures women have relevant information to make reproductive decisions that is, whether they
would continue with pregnancy (Human Rights Watch: Women's Human Rights: Abortion.
(2018).
The right of women to make an independent decision regarding abortion has been
subjected to numerous controversies. From the human rights perspective, international statutes
have entitled women to the right to take decisions about her pregnancy and any denial of such
rights may result in numerous human rights violations. Women have a right to access safe and
legal abortion procedures without any interference. In the USA, the landmark decision in Roe v
Wade have set a precedent for ensuring protection to all women who seeks termination of their
pregnancies. The case established the freedom of choice for women that have confined the rights
to legislators to have access to legal abortion (Human Rights Law and Access to Abortion,
2018).

3ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
The case has extended the Federal protection of the rights of women to terminate
pregnancy based on the constitutional right of citizens to privacy. However, the decision given in
Roe v Wade requires to strike a balance between interest of the state to protect potential life of
the unborn and the strength of privacy. Thus, it leads to an incessant debate in determining
whether right conferred upon women to terminate pregnancy would be advantageous or it will
end the life of the foetus. Restrictions on accessibility to abortion is justified to certain extent that
is, abortion should take place during earlier 12 weeks of gestation and that if there is a defect in
foetus that might affect the mother, abortion is mandatory under such circumstances (Human
Rights Law and Access to Abortion, 2018).
Historical events
In 2015, California, one of its anti-abortion pregnancy centers has been required by law
to provide clients with information about contraception that is publicly financed, family-planning
services and abortion. The state officials required California women to be informed about
reproductive services irrespective of their source of income (Sacchetti et al., 2018). The
challengers argued that it was unconstitutional to force centers that counter abortion and post
notices that encourage women to obtain information regarding abortions at low expenses. These
cases turning on the First Amendment often becomes proxies for the larger thus, enduring the
debate over the right of woman to terminate pregnancy.
More recently, in 2017, South Carolina Governor issued an executive order that blocks
public funding for medical practices or physicians associated with abortion clinics. Various
agencies, medical entities and clinics in South Carolina obtain funds from the taxpayer to
provide services that ensures good health of women and provide family planning services.

4ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Further, in October 2017, the legal suit brought against a teenage girl who was an illegal
immigrant and while in detention, she was detected to be pregnant. She wanted abortion but was
denied by the Trump administration. However, after an appeal, the decision was made in her
favor and she terminated her pregnancy as she was not ready for the child. The case
demonstrated uncertainty in the government’s action about blocking the undocumented teens
within its custody from having abortion (Sacchetti et al., 2018).
Despite the landmark cases on abortion that promoted the rights of women to terminate
their pregnancy, still today, they are mostly prevented from taking independent decisions about
ending their pregnancy, partly, in the name of their health and partly due to other socio-economic
or political reasons.
Timeline
The debates on women’s right to abortion have been a significant concern since time
immemorial and the timeline marks the rulings on the controversial issue. In 1976, Congress
passed the Hyde Amendment that prohibited Medicaid and other relevant Federal funds for
providing health plans regarding abortions in the case of Harris v McRae [1980]. This has been
the case in South Carolina as well where taxpayer funding have been prohibited from being
used by clinics or agencies that facilitates abortion and other health services.
Although in Roe v Wade [1973] the Supreme court upheld the right of women to make
decision about continuing or terminating her pregnancy, but, it still was unable to implement the
right completely. In 1821, Connecticut was the first state to prohibited abortion after movement
of foetus is observed in the body of women, a process, which is known as ‘quickening’.

5ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Conclusion
The cultural atmosphere in the modern era is worse than it was prior to the decision
obtain in Roe v Wade, in the context of women rights to abortion (Human Rights Law and
Access to Abortion, 2018). Earlier, abortion was performed when it was considered as illegal but
was considered necessary even as per law and the clergy. Nevertheless, today, abortion is legal
still the supporters are working in a climate where the procedure is subjected to risk of
prosecution and persecution. Harsh penalties and threats do not prevent women from undergoing
abortion. For years, the pattern of unnecessary death focuses on two things, namely, abortion and
gun violence. T
However, the landmark decisions empowered women to exercise their free choice over
reproduction including their right to a legal and safe abortion. as a step towards prevention of
abortion, the Lowa lawmakers have attempted to pass a Bill that states “life starts of
conception”. This Bill aims at providing the fertilized eggs with the protection and rights under
the US Constitution (Human Rights Watch: Women's Human Rights: Abortion, 2018). However,
this Bill has also been subjected to several criticisms such as it would put a ban on the birth
control contraception.
Therefore, it can be argued that the notion of abortion is a highly sensitive topic that
influences deeply held opinions. While the country attempts to prevent abortion by proposing to
provide fertilized eggs with constitutional rights, at the same time, denial of abortions is being
described as a disgraceful government action. Under such circumstances, it is only appropriate to
facilitate women to exercise their right to terminate pregnancy while restricting the right only
under justified grounds, thus, balancing the rights of the women and the foetus.

6ABORTION CLINICS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
References
Harris v McRae [1980] 448 U.S. 297
Human Rights Watch: Women's Human Rights: Abortion. (2018). Hrw.org. Retrieved 28 April
2018, from https://www.hrw.org/legacy/women/abortion/us.html
Manninen, B. A., & Mulder Jr, J. (2018). Introduction. In Civil Dialogue on Abortion (pp. 11-
20). Routledge.
Q&A: Human Rights Law and Access to Abortion. (2018). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 28
April 2018, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/07/24/qa-human-rights-law-and-access-
abortion
Roe v Wade [1973] 410 U.S. 113
Sacchetti, M., Marimow, A., Sacchetti, M. and Marimow, A. (2018). Undocumented teen
immigrant has the abortion she sought for weeks. [online] Washington Post. Available at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/undocumented-immigrant-teen-has-
abortion-ending-weeks-long-court-battle/2017/10/25/9805249a-b90b-11e7-9e58-
e6288544af98_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.95519d8c9b92 [Accessed 28 Apr. 2018].
Sedgh, G., Finer, L. B., Bankole, A., Eilers, M. A., & Singh, S. (2015). Adolescent pregnancy,
birth, and abortion rates across countries: levels and recent trends. Journal of Adolescent
Health, 56(2), 223-230.