it is very concerning how that the general public forgets that the argument on "abortion" and "reproductive rights" isn't isolated to the topic of "baby in the womb doing stuff".
The whole encompassing topic of body autonomy doesn't start or end at "womb" or "fetus". Those are the buzzwords that republicans love to throw around to simplify the morbid truth of this weird control train. It's what republicans prop up like a cardboard placeholder for the submerged iceberg of everything that they want to control on the topic of body and reproduction autonomy.
And this goes for men too. I know my boys like to pretend that they republicans have no interest in the peepee gun. But the republicans also think condoms and male birth control are the devils work, because dem bois are still killing babies. So when they get done with the ladies, they'll be looking at us all.
Which ties to my next point, aside from birth control measures being removed because it 'kills babies'. The whole topic is a mess because republicans idea of saving babies is for women to get married ASAP and start having babies. Messy. Topic. Bat. Shit. Insanity.
What is more batshit insane than gutting production of birth control and contraceptives, is the general focus on anything to do with the uterus or the ovarian things. Because this is the massive, whole encompassing issue here. In red states, it is difficult if not impossible to get sterilization surgery, regardless the reason. Women and people with uteruses struggle to get healthcare in red states, when their biology connected to the uterus fucks up. Even if the procedure is something that will benefit their quality of life, such as the case of Menorrhagia, Endocrine, Ovarian cysts, and various other illnesses that incapacitate or cause general disruption in health in those with a uterus. Some chemical birth controls help with managing these disorders, but sometimes that isn't enough. Some people go for a hysterectomy, but that all depends. But all of this medical hippa and body autonomy is infringed upon by republicans and red states, under the guise of "Saving babies".
These republicans put the quality and safety of a damn organ, above the person mental and physical health. It's bizarre. It's sick. People with uteruses lose full jurisdiction to their body, because by religious and state ordinance, the body is not their own property. Not fully. The uteruses may not be full of oil, but the republicans sure as hell want to stake a claim in it.
The topic is not a clear cut of black and white, regardless how simple the republican smooth brain schemes tries to posture it. It's dehumanizing and frankly, dystopian. Topics of health and wellness should be governed by no more than two people - the doctor, and the person seeking medical assistance for their body. Governors, Supreme Court, House Representatives - none of those people in those districts have a place in body autonomy regarding a singular organ. They HR, SC, Congress, whoever - they can have discussions of healthcare and affordability and the insurance coverage (which is a fuking nightmare). But when it comes to procedures that people seek to amend personal health issues, they cannot be governed by anyone not privvy to that information.
But that's just a reminder to anyone who thinks "abortion has nothing to do with me because I cannot get preggos". You miss the point it wasn't about babies or pregnancy or protecting/saving anyone. It was about controlling body health and emotional welfare.
You go to the doctors one day because you have heavy bleeding, and you get the results back from tests letting you know "there's a large tumor on your fallopian tube and it needs to be removed." It's not a simple case of scheduling the procedure, even if you have the assets to get this done and insurance that can cover it. Because there's suddenly the possibility you're actually involved in a nefarious plan to kill a baby, and everything about this procedure must be approved by your very red state, just to be sure you're not a heathen. Insurance might not even have jurisdiction to cover it, since this is happening in a red state.
But that's the gist of reproduction rights and body autonomy. It's never been about babies or saving unborn children.