Unsigned staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the editorial board.

When people think of healthcare, they may think of the basics like yearly doctor checkups or getting braces. Healthcare is what keeps us alive and healthy. It is without a doubt a necessity in everyone’s lives.

Ignorant Texas lawmakers draw the line on healthcare when it comes to female’s reproductive health and rights.

In August, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law the  TX SB8 legislation that bans women from getting abortions after six weeks into their pregnancy, with no exceptions.

Anyone who helps a women recieve an abortion can be sued by any citizen who needs no requirement to show proof of relation to whom they are suing.

Six weeks may seem like a long time, it is not enough time for many women to even notice that they are pregnant. For many, it’s well before they even have the chance to decide whether an abortion would be the best option for them. 

The state is ultimately taking into account the potential life of a fetus before the preexisting life of a woman.

In California, women’s reproductive rights are attainable and even encouraged. The California Proclamation on Reproductive Freedom signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019 reassures protection of reproductive rights and health care. From this document, reproductive care that includes abortions can be easily accessed. Reproductive freedom is described  as, “…a fundamental right for all Californians”. This recognizes the importance of women’s health.

Texas needs to realize that women are protected through the prioritization of reproductive and sexual health care.  A woman’s choice to an abortion will ultimately affect her the most. Potentially being a mother under poor and unmanageable conditions is an overlooked outcome that many women will face under Texas’ new law.  

The eventual outcome for women in desperate need of reproductive care, especially regarding abortions, will be to find a clinic that can perform the medical procedure in states that are more progressive and respectful of women. 

And if federal courts authorizing laws like the one in Texas continue to be enforced, it is very possible for other states to impose laws restricting the female body and reproductive choices. 

Texas’s new laws were designed to prioritize fetuses that aren’t considered a living, breathing organism yet. The undeniable truth is that one cannot kill what was never alive. Reproductive rights must be seen as important before more women are put into threatening  situations like those in Texas are now facing.