NEWS ISSUE OF THE MONTH
Photo courtesy of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc.
Everyone Deserves the Right to Make Their Own Health Care Decisions, Including Abortion BY TANYA ATKINSON
“As a young woman, I knew I was in danger physically with my ex-boyfriend and medically with the pregnancy, so I made the final decision to have the abortion.”—Mallory Nearly one in four women will have an abortion in her lifetime. Every day, people across the country make their own decisions about their pregnancies for reasons that are deeply personal. Politics has no place in these decisions. Yet, if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court later this summer, abortion in Wisconsin could immediately become a crime at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the woman. This is because Wisconsin has a 172-year-old criminal abortion law that is still in place that could immediately go into effect if Roe is overturned. Deciding if or when to become a parent is one of the most personal and life-changing decisions many people will make. 14 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS
While we may have differing views about abortion, most of us can agree that we want our friends and family to be able to get the care they need when they need it. We don't want politicians to make these personal decisions for us or the people we care about. The reality is laws and court rulings have serious consequences for people we love. The physicians and clinicians at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin are there for women, counseling and caring for them. “As a physician, I am dedicated to protecting the health of my patients as well as assuring they have access to the care they need when they need it. If Roe is overturned and abortion is criminalized in Wisconsin, my ability to care for persons with high-risk pregnancies that pose a threat to their health, those who have been victimized, or those experiencing miscarriage or
