Social Problems, Policies, and Social Change

Examining Abortion Policy in the United States: Social Inequalities, Human Rights, and Pathways for Change Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name November 8, 2024 Policy Issue and Background This paper examines the issue of abortion as a policy issue in the United States. This topic has grave social implications and involves fundamental questions about women's rights, social justice, and health care. The topic has become significantly more relevant due to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which defied the previous precedent of the Roe v. Wade ruling that had protected it federally. The decision of Dobbs put back the ability to regulate abortion to the states, and thus, there are many inconsistencies in its access. About 22 million women of childbearing age are in states that ban abortion or have minimal access to services (Human Rights Watch, 2023). Analysis of the legal and political changes that deal with abortion gives a clear understanding of some of the significant conflicting rights of the individual against the state. As discussed in Elizabeth Segal's Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs (2020), abortion is most definitely a backlash concerning the larger society's view on women's reproductive rights, male-female relationships, and the nuclear family. Pro-choicers have always said that women have the right to decide when to conceive and have a safe, legal abortion. On the other hand, the opposing side tends to view abortion as a matter of ethics, with fetal rights outdoing a woman's right to decide (Segal, 2020). This deeply contested policy environment remains consequential in the following ways: People's lives and rights, health, health care, civil liberties, social justice, and gender equality in the United States. Accordingly, it is worth noting that the ‘Post-Dobbs regulating laws’, particularly those mid-pregnancy infringement laws, have been correlated with detrimental health impacts and social consequences. Vilda et al. (2021) find that Access to abortion is also reduced in states that further restrict it by ceasing to fund it, which leads to an increased maternal mortality rate in these states. From this finding, it can be inferred that abortion policy is not only about controlling access to this particular medical operation but is about eradicating women's ability to receive necessary health care. Further, they perpetrate cultures of working fear amongst healthcare practitioners that are prone to legal repercussions – a phenomenon that has resulted in denial/delayed treatment in ESICD cases (Human Rights Watch, 2023). Personal Significance of Abortion Policy Abortion policy is essential to me because it is a topic that is relevant to everyone and includes critical issues that require different individuals' rights and privileges, as well as human and social justice concerns. I sincerely believe that abortion should be an individual's right because of social justice and gender issues because these two categories are among those most negatively impacted by restrictive policies. Michelle Jackson's Manifesto for a Dream 2020 effectively builds on the argument that specific governmental policies on controlling one's body limit people's lives and overall life choices. Through an evaluation of the effects of limited access to abortion, I will try to expand the discussion of how social policy should foster equality. This subject affects health within the populace and human dignity, and it enables me to continue reading. According to the Pew Research Center (2024), a large number of Americans believe that women should be able to get a legal abortion; this is a clear indication that despite the state laws, most Americans are in support of access to abortion. This gap poses essential questions about how the government represents people and their rights regarding society. Research Design for Policy Analysis As a researcher studying abortion policy, my intended study would be quantitative, analyzing healthcare with qualitative data results to gather accurate interviews. In order to analyze this qualitatively, I would compare maternal and infant health outcomes at the state level by differences in the state abortion restrictions. As Vilda et al.,2021 noted, maternal mortality increases with restrictive abortion policies, and they revealed that when compared to 2010, the seven states that have restrictive policies saw a 7% rise in maternal mortality rates. Brown et al. (2020) mentioned that, based on the laws, countries with restrictive legislative environments have low abortion rates. However, the authors argue that such a picture may be misleading because when abortion is restricted, the demand remains high and just cannot be met. This quantitative approach would have assisted in elucidating the policy stringency / public health impact correlation. The qualitative would include the key stakeholders, including the healthcare providers, patients, and policy advocates conducted in the restricted and non-restrict states. This would provide observations of how people are coping under these policies and analyze how legislative changes would impend life post-Dobbs. Open-ended findings might include details of barriers to accessing abortions from the women them...