HB 5: Women’s Enemy

American Life League/ Flickr

Alba Rosa/ Staff Writer

The famed HB 5, the bill banning abortion after fifteen weeks of pregnancy, will soon be on top of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s. He said he’ll sign the “warranted” bill, and women across Florida will face the terrifying consequences.

If the bill is approved, pregnant women have about four months to decide what they want to do about their pregnancy. If they miss the time limit, they will not be able to get an abortion in Florida.

This ban could force women to travel out of state, or even out of the country, to have an abortion performed if they are too late, according to Sen. Lori Berman.

Women’s decisions over their bodies shouldn’t be restricted by law. Even less so by men in power, who have no experience with pregnancies or abortions.

I worry about the future of this bill. As of late 2021, Texas passed a bill that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. If you need a reference, most women find out they’re pregnant a week or do after their period is late. By then, they’re already considered to be four to six weeks pregnant.

Bills like the Texas abortion ban inspired others, specifically, Florida’s own abortion ban. If a state plans to ban abortion completely, others are likely to follow. As time passes, women in the United States lose more of their rights until eventually, they won’t have any at all.

That should concern you.

The conversation surrounding abortion is often complicated and overly passionate. It’s not just taboo. But both sides are loyal to their beliefs, which frequently sparks heated discussions. This procedure isn’t something to downplay. It’s a tough and emotional experience. But it is a decision that, to some, must be made.

Why do people forget women are humans? They aren’t perfect. We make mistakes and learn from them. I, for one, am glad that an alternative for pregnancy exists.

Some consider their pregnancy an expensive mistake during financial hardships, but others believe it provided them with an opportunity to better themselves.

This process is different for everybody. As bystanders of their story, we have no right to judge nor the right to decide for them.

We’ve treated sex as taboo for long enough. Education surrounding sex is almost always never taken seriously, which could be a factor that contributed to many unwanted pregnancies.

A proper course in sexual education could be the answer to all of this. Teaching them young is key to developing proper sexual etiquette. If this is implemented, we might see abortion, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease rates go down. 

Abortion centers provide assistance to women who need it the most. They do much more than lawmakers, the people solely responsible for such restrictive and outrageous laws. They care for our opinions, while lawmakers act for themselves. 

Til we live in a world where women have equal rights and control over their bodies, the fight for women’s reproductive rights will continue.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

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