Women who have ectopic pregnancies will die when medical providers refuse to prescribe methotrexate out of fear of being accused of having provided an abortion, or they will have to undergo unnecessary and dangerous surgical removal of a fallopian tube instead, after the pregnancy has proceeded far enough to show that it is tubal - the woman’s life being at risk due to impending tubal rupture, all the while. Overturning Roe Could Make Ectopic Pregnancies Extremely Dangerous | The New Republic.
Politicians in some states are vying with each other to pass laws which prohibit abortion for any reason - this is happening even as you are reading this. Don’t think that you’ll surely be able to fly your daughter out to get a safe, legal abortion in a state where it’s currently still available. If she’s in the emergency room for a pregnancy-related issue that threatens her life, she’s not leaving while that fetus is still alive. Sure, after several women die, maybe state legislatures will fine-tune their laws to only ban “immoral” abortions, but do you want your daughter to be at risk of being the death that provokes that?
As of today, being a female of reproductive age in a state without legal abortion is a threat to that person’s life. It doesn’t matter if she’s only there temporarily to get an education.
Another thing to consider… medical schools is some states will likely have to adjust their curricula to avoid teaching “criminal” material. This is way more far reaching than some believe.
My DD will not attend grad school in any state where abortion is banned. I hate for her that she is starting her career in TX but she’ll leave as soon as she finishes her 2 years. I’ll leave once I retire. Wish I could move sooner.
Parents, please consider, research and discuss this question for every college before you and your child add it to your child’s list:
Will my child have access to safe and legal reproductive medical care if she attends this school?
Research state laws before you send your daughter (or son) off to college. A young person who finds herself alone in a desperate situation without access to medical care may feel that she has no where to turn and could take matters into her own hands with terrible, and historically deadly, consequences.
Please make sure that your daughter attends college in a state where she has access to safe reproductive medical care (and, that her and her doctor cannot be prosecuted, extradited or vulnerable to civil litigation).
Before they leave for school, reassure your kids that you are there for them and you will always help them.
But, recognize that you may not be the one that they turn to. No child ever wants to disappoint their parent. Give them contact information for agencies and organizations that they can turn to, if needed.
One of my D’s company’s biggest sites is in AL. She will not work there no matter what kind of job or salary they offer. She’s now seriously looking at their sites in IL.
I seriously doubt she would have Purdue on her list of schools if she were applying to college now. Heart breaking that we are at this point in this century.
Given the fact that birth control is probably next on the agenda, this decision is beyond chilling. I wish that I could be more eloquent, but I am just so overwhelmed by anger. 50 years.
Not sure if I can post - a good read in the Wash Post from June 22nd about a Texan teen. Promises made and promises broken by her mom and a boyfriend that is trying hard.
My sister died suddenly from pregnancy complications at 6 months. She had been to the doctor the day before and everything was fine. D1 has graduated and is in FL- she will not stay long term. D2 chose not to stay in the south for college. I am thankful for that. For them, they obviously never want to be in a position of having an unwanted pregnancy, it’s about having competent medical care if something goes wrong.
The maternal mortality rate in this country is abysmal and is rising. it’s about to get much worse.
In my blue state, a 1931 law criminalizing abortion kicks in now. It has been temporarily halted, but it’s just a temporary injunction. Years of gerrymandering have yielded a majority of lawmakers from one party, and there are some among them who are proposing a 10-year prison sentence for abortion providers and a 20-year sentence for anyone manufacturing, selling or distributing birth control medication. So don’t just assume blue means safe. This is Michigan, by the way.
@coffeeat3 I read that article the other day. The poor girl has twins!
I only have one still at home deciding on where to go to college - she had no desire to head to a conservative state prior to today, but this only sealed the deal. My oldest is out of college, but thankfully she is living and working in a state where her right is protected.
I agree with the person upthread about talking with your sons. I have two boys and will be reiterating their personal responsibility WRT always using contraceptives.
A reminder that Long Term Reversible Contraception methods (LARCs) are an excellent option for many before going off to college. Options include Nexplanon (a short flexible “spaghetti noodle” that goes under the skin in the upper arm and delivers a tiny dose of hormone each day) and IUDs such as Mirena and Kyleena. They are incredibly safe and have an extremely high effectiveness rate.
I plan on having a long conversation with my sons today about their role in all of this and reminding them that this is not just about women’s rights but their futures also. S24 will not be applying in red states either
Excellent advice but also needs to be said that under another fairly recent SCOTUS ruling, student health insurance plans are no longer required to provide coverage for contraception. This applies to religiously affiliated schools, so parents should look carefully at student health plans at these schools and may want to consider outside health insurance.
As a reminder, at College Confidential we ask for discussion and not debate. This might be a difficult discussion to have right at the moment, so I strongly recommend being especially careful when you respond to other people here.
Edit: I’ve removed some posts referring to blue, red and purple states. Being a bit more specific about the rules in particular states might be helpful information, but broad generalizations aren’t.
It was just 9 years ago that I was thrilled for my older daughter to have the chance to pass up UCLA and a Regents offer from UCSD to go to Rice. No chance that decision would go the same way today. The rate at which everything is unraveling is horrifying.