Banning abortion violates the rights of women to control their own bodies, but the problems with this policy go much further than that. A ban on abortions does not “protect life,” it forces women and children to face the dangers of motherhood and childhood in a country that doesn’t do enough to make those conditions livable.

Consider these things:

• Women face a litany of medical dangers and complications in pregnancy that can threaten their health and lives, making an abortion a literal lifesaving procedure in some pregnancies
• Many women who become pregnant are not prepared to face the economic ramifications of motherhood—the average cost of childbirth in America ranges from $4,000 to $15,000, and the annual cost of childcare averages out at $14,000 on top of that
• Healthcare in America is among the most expensive in the world, and American law provides some of the shortest periods of maternity leave and NO mandatory paid maternity leave—it is one of the few developed countries in the world that does not provide child care for young children, which creates a huge burden for mothers of kids who may need to work
• Almost 11 million American children lived in poverty as of 2021, or one in seven kids—the US has consistently come in as one of the worst countries for child poverty among developed nations for years
• Children born from abuse or rape face a higher likelihood of being abused themselves, while those born of incest are at greater risk of medical problems including birth defects
• American states that ban abortions have some of the worst outcomes for infant mortality, maternal mortality, childhood poverty, and overall life expectancy

Opponents of abortion tend to brand themselves as “pro-life” because they see themselves as protecting unborn children. But the fact is there is nothing pro-life about the American anti-abortion movement. The lack of economic and social support given to mothers and children in America means that forced births are likely to bring more people into this pregnancy-poverty loop and a lower quality of life. Until those who cherish the lives of unborn people also care as much about the lives of those already born, the “pro-life” movement will not be anything more than “pro-birth.”

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