Abortion Laws Tied to Women's and Children's Health

A study conducted by Ibis Reproductive Health and the Center for Reproductive Rights, "found that a state's performance on indicators for women and children's health and well-being is inversely proportional to the amount of anti-abortion laws in that state". The indicators include obesity, mortality for women and children, lack of health insurance for women and children, and teen birth rates. Essentially, the higher number of anti-abortion laws a state has in place, the higher the likelihood that the state has lower quality of life for women and children. Presently, "more than 250 anti-abortion bills have been introduced in state legislatures" this year. Over twenty states have more than eleven anti-abortion laws or restrictions in place. Vermont is the only state with no anti-abortion legislature. Interestingly, there is also a correlation between poor performing states and political ideology. The states that performed poorly, those that have anti-abortion legislature and poor quality of life for women and children, identify as conservative Republican. These states include Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, and Arizona. 
   This article confirms my beliefs that Republican lawmakers and their supporters only care about the baby while it is in utero. I have heard of the term,"pro-birther", to describe the legislators and citizens who just want the mother to give birth. After the mother gives birth, they couldn't care less about the mother and the child. 
  I wish more women in states with anti-abortion laws and restrictions would realize lawmakers do not care about them as people. These laws are put into place to restrict a woman's right to an abortion. In many ways, legislators protect the "rights" of the baby and not a woman. 
  My feelings about abortion are mixed. While I feel every woman should have the right to an abortion, I am not sure I would get one myself if I were in the same position. Also, I find it repulsive that women use abortion as a method of birth control so I support sex education for adults as well. I believe comprehensive sex education should be required in schools across the United States, instead of saying "don't have sex, be abstinent" and expecting students to not have sex. If we teach students while they are young, many abortions can be avoided. However, in conservative states, abstinence is the only method of birth control taught.