An abortion gave me life.
My mother was 42 when she became pregnant with me. Previously, she had struggled with miscarriages and had undergone a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C), which was classified as a first-term abortion. The D&C was crucial. Without it, she would not have been able to get pregnant again.
In 2008, age 42 was considered outside the norm for having a pregnancy. Only 14% of births in the United States were to women 35 and older. Today, half of births are to mothers older than 30. According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 100,000 women older than 40 now give birth to children every year in the United States.
Now that more women are giving birth at older ages, abortion protections are more important than ever.
As women age, the quality and quantity of their eggs diminish, increasing the likelihood of fetal abnormalities. Many of these women can’t learn about such disorders through testing until their 15-week gestational period.
“Older women who have planned their pregnancies may be more likely to pursue an abortion after 15 weeks because of the higher risk of fetal abnormalities,” wrote Roni Caryn Rabin, a health reporter for the New York Times.
According to the Pew Research Center, only a small percentage of abortions take place after the 15-week gestational mark; 93% of abortions happen before the 13-week mark, in the first trimester.
Midlife women who may not realize they are pregnant until the 15-week mark face a challenge. They are left with limited time to undergo genetic tests and get the care they need in the window when abortion is available to them.
Many people assume that abortions are for young women who aren’t ready to be mothers. While this is generally true, women of all ages are getting abortions for various reasons. According to data from 47 states compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost a third of women who got an abortion in 2021 were in their 30s, while 4% were 40 to 44 years old. Most of these women had already given birth to at least one child.
A nationwide abortion ban would subject midlife women to greater health risks. Before heading to the polls, you must understand the gravity of these issues and how they will affect our future.
Former President Donald Trump has expressed mixed views on this topic. Although we have heard him say in the past that he wants a nationwide ban, his recent comments have been inconsistent. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, has been clearer: In 2022, he said he would like a nationwide ban on abortion.
Vice President Kamala Harris has consistently stated that she will work to restore abortion rights for American women. Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is also supportive of reproductive choice.
In 2023, Walz signed a bill protecting abortion rights in Minnesota at all stages of pregnancy. The law prohibits the government from taking away this right, making Minnesota a strong model for other states and the federal government to follow.
Federal abortion protection would support safe abortions for women who need them. According to the National Library of Medicine, half of worldwide abortions are carried out in medically unsafe conditions, and 68,000 women die annually from unsafe abortions.
Beyond the health risks to women, we also have to think about their families and children. Abortions allow more women to plan their families and careers, and without it, there may be repercussions, such as living in poverty. Access to abortion can lead to increased earnings, making it easier to plan families and to avoid unintended pregnancies that risk the health of midlife women.
While Minnesota is fortunate to have wide abortion access, lots of states do not have this advantage. A Trump victory would put women’s access to abortion in jeopardy.
To get federal protection, we need to vote. I also urge you to donate to a local Planned Parenthood, volunteer at a clinic, and educate others on the subject of abortion.
Without my mother’s access to abortion care, I would not be here writing this right now.
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2024 Op-Ed Workshop for high school youth in partnership with Sahan Journal and the Minnesota Star Tribune. ThreeSixty is a multimedia storytelling program for Minnesota youth, focused on contributing to more accurate narratives and representative newsrooms.
