Know About Roe? Know the Facts

Myth: When abortion is accessible and legal, too many women will have abortions.

Fact: Women worldwide who need abortions will find a way to have them even if they are illegal. Currently, of the 46 million abortions that occur worldwide every year, 20 million take place where abortion is considered illegal.

Fact: The majority of Americans support abortion rights. Since 1975, Gallup polls have shown strong public support for legal abortion. In almost every survey, more people are in favor of abortion rights than opposed.

Fact: Most young women are pro-choice. 2/3 of young women, age 16-25, are pro-choice (Pro-choice Public Education Project).

Fact: Very few U.S. counties have an abortion provider. 86% of U.S. counties and 95% of rural counties do not have an abortion provider. Women who do not have an abortion provider in their county often must travel several hours or even cross state-lines in order to obtain an abortion.

Fact: Poor and low-income women are denied access to abortion. The Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal Medicaid funds to provide abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. Though states may choose to fund abortions for poor women using state Medicaid dollars, only 13 states choose to do so. Therefore, the vast majority of poor and low-income women in the United States are denied access to abortion services.

Fact: It is difficult for young women to access abortion. 42 states have enacted parental consent or notification laws requiring young women under 18 to get the permission of, or inform, one or more of their parents. This makes it extremely difficult for young women to access safe and legal abortion. Though states with parental consent and notification laws are required to provide a judicial bypass option, bypasses can be logistically difficult to obtain and an anti-choice judge may refuse to grant the minor's request. Many young women, fearing their parents' reaction, choose to seek back-alley abortions instead of telling a parent.

Fact: Roe v. Wade could be overturned and abortion made illegal. Currently, the majority of both houses of Congress are against legal abortion. Under an anti-choice administration, Congress will likely restrict or even overturn Roe v. Wade. Moreover, the next president may be able to appoint 3-4 Supreme Court Justices. In recent years, the Supreme Court has upheld Roe v. Wade by razor-thin, pro-choice majority of 5 to 4. An anti-choice Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade.

Fact: Anti-choice violence against women's healthcare clinics is rampant. Last year, one in five abortion clinics experienced some form of severe violence, including arsons, bombings, blockades, invasions, death threats, stalking, and murder. This violence is part of an orchestrated, strategic campaign being waged by the extremist wing of the anti-choice movement to shut down women's healthcare clinics across the country.

Fact: Abortion rights affect all women. Women who have abortions come from all racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and religious backgrounds. 43% of women in the United States will have had an abortion by the age of 45.

Fact: The pro-choice movement embraces a comprehensive approach to reproductive rights. The pro-choice movement has led the way in the struggle for safe, affordable, and accessible birth control and sex education, in addition to abortion. The anti-choice movement, however, not only opposes abortion, but also frequently opposes birth control and comprehensive sex education.

Fact: Mifepristone (RU486) is a safe and effective method of early abortion. Over 200,000 women worldwide have successfully used mifepristone. Clinical trials have shown that mifepristone is a safe and effective method of early abortion with a complication rate of 1%.

Fact: Mifepristone has implications for the treatment of many serious diseases. Mifepristone has tremendous potential as a treatment for a number of serious diseases and conditions including endometriosis, fibroid tumors, menigiomas, ovarian cancer, some types of breast cancer, Alzheimer's, depression, Cushing's Symdrome, and the HIV virus.

Fact: "Partial birth" is not a late term abortion medical procedure. "Partial birth" abortion does not identify any particular abortion procedure. It is a deliberately vivid and inaccurate term invented by anti-choice activists that has been refuted by doctors all over the country. According to the College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the term "is not even recognized within the medical community." As the wording of "partial birth" bans is vague and ambiguous, these statutes could in actuality prohibit safe and common abortion procedures used in the 2nd and even 1st trimester.

Fact: You can make a difference! Get involved with the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) on campus today! Through the FMLA, you can educate and effect change on your campus, in your community, and at the national level through the Feminist Majority Foundation's national campaign - the Choices Campaign. Join the Feminist Majority Foundation's online Choices Campus Community at www.feministcampus.org to network with pro-choice feminists across the country and take action on the issue of choice.