Editor’s note: Due to the nature of this subject and to protect the safety and well-being of students, the names of sources related to Citrus will remain anonymous.
A Supreme Court draft opinion that leaked May 2 will cause changes in how states handle abortion if it comes to fruition.
A person’s right to choose matters more than just legally. Having to choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy is tough and impacts all that are involved.
Even students at Citrus deal with unwanted advances, and without the right to choose, the outcome could be dire and life changing.
A student at Citrus, talks about their experiences with sexual assualt and the trauma she endured dealing with an abortion.
“I was so scared,” a Citrus student said. “For the first time in my life I felt completely helpless. It was supposed to be a casual date with a friend who was in the same class. He knew I already had a daughter and wasn’t looking for a relationship. He got me drunk, and when I said no, he just wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop him. He was so strong.”
After the traumatic ordeal, the student said she tried to get a morning after pill from a pharmacy, which is a medication that prevents ovulation and blocks fertilization.
Traumatized and in pain the student said she had trouble walking and “cried all the way to the pharmacy.”
“They wouldn’t take cash,” the student said. “I didn’t have a debit card, and I wasn’t able to get one in time. I called everyone. No one helped me.”
The student said she was too scared to go to the police and that he threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
“I thought about hanging myself,” the student said. “If it wasn’t for my baby girl, I might have. I was out of options and I prayed every night that I wasn’t pregnant. I couldn’t afford another kid and I would throw up just thinking about it.”
The student said the worst part was she had to stop going to school because he was still in her class.
“This happened before COVID,” the student said, “but I’ve been taking classes online ever since. I’m too scared to go back. I don’t know if he’s still there, but I’m too scared to find out.”
The student found out she was pregnant and had to pay $800 for an abortion.
“It was my rent,” the student said. “By the grace of God, my landlord understood my situation and allowed me to skip that month.”
If Roe v. Wade, the 1973 supreme court case that legalized abortion is overturned, then women who face a similar situation may not have the options that the student had.
The impacts of this decision will lead to unsafe term pregnancies, unwanted children and traumatized young mothers.
Things a 12-year-old child cannot do:
- Smoke cigarettes
- Drink alcohol
- Rent a car
- Buy a house
- Get married
- Join the military
Take a hard look at that list. Now think about this. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, a 12-year-old child that becomes pregnant from rape will be forced to carry a child through a full-term pregnancy.
If that 12-year-old child’s life is in danger, the doctors will be forced to save the life of the unborn fetus. The doctors will not be able to terminate the fetus because that would be considered murder.
Human Rights Watch Associate Director Amanda Klasing said in a story on overturning Roe v. Wade that allowing states to have full control of abortion law will have these effects on human rights:
- Pregnant people will be significantly impacted.
- Increased number of unsafe and illegal abortions.
- Rises in maternal mortality and morbidity.
Klasing said marginalized groups, including those in poverty, young people, Black and other people of color, will be the most adversely affected.
Klasing goes on to say this is a draft opinion and abortion is still legal in the U.S.
Although abortion is still legal, the Supreme Court has made clear its intentions, and the U.S. is headed for change that hasn’t been seen in 49 years.
Time reporter Abigail Abrams said in a story about the Sureme Court leak that Louisiana had already drafted a bill classifying abortion as homicide in preparation for the possible Supreme Court decision.
On the flip side, KTLA reporters Travis Schlepp and Christina Pascucci wrote in a story about California providers that California Planned Parenthood is getting ready for hundreds of new out-of-state patients.
California being prepared for out-of-state abortions is a good thing, as many will find refuge, but it poses a new problem.
Salon.org reporter Nicole Karlis wrote in a story about the surge the state may not be prepared for the surge in abortions, despite its best efforts.
Karlis said the Guttmacher Institute Report findings show California could go from 46,000 to 1.4 million women who seek an abortion provider, an increase of 2,923%
Students at Citrus who need help with any unwanted pregnancy should be prepared if the need arises due to the influx of new patients.
Students have resources available through the Student Health Center that may help with understanding their decisions and seeking further assistance.
