My Role: Opinion writer
The political climate energized by the potential fall of Roe v. Wade isn’t just going to prevent the ability of many women to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy. It might also prevent millions of people from trying to conceive in the first place.
In the past, state personhood amendments were often unsuccessful because of concerns that IVF and similar care could be affected. Legislators tried to distinguish fertility treatments from any antiabortion stances, delicately balancing desires to attract votes. But Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s leaked draft opinion striking down Roe claims that the “decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right,” with the precedent of Roe being argued against by distinguishing abortion to be unlike any other constitutional right due to the concept of “fetal life.” This lays the groundwork for politicians seeking to activate a particular demographic of voters who identify not through a secular moral stance, but religiously influenced views.