Roe vs. Wade must be reinstated

Daily, more than 700 women die globally from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, about 260,000 deaths annually. U.S. maternal mortality rate in 2024 was 649 deaths; 63% were postpartum and 26% occurred in pregnancy. In comparison, globally, an estimated 80,000 to 250,000 people die in wars annually.

In pre-Roe vs. Wade Georgia, a pregnant 18-year-old faced childbirth or abortion. In a closet of a prominent hospital’s maternity ward, she received a saline injection and aborted 14 hours later, alone. Two weeks later, the retained placenta caused a hemorrhage and required a D&C. Miraculously, she survived, though her life and reproductive health suffered. The “doctor” was later disbarred.

The Roe vs. Wade reversal ushered in an era of clandestine travel for many to “safe states” and a legal minefield followed. In 2025, 25% of U.S. women traveled for abortions at great cost. Those who could not faced a self-administered alternative. In some states, these women could be sued, as could anyone who assists. Additionally, women are pursued across state lines. Those who miscarry, in addition to the emotional and physical loss, experience the indignity of denied care, with the same tragic results. This attack on our ability to govern our own bodies is war.

We mourn the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe vs Wade decision on June 24, 2024, to strip women of their federal constitutional right to abortion. 80% of Americans agree that women should be able to choose and obtain a safe abortion. Yet here we are. Despite total bans or severe gestational restrictions, clinicians and formal health care systems counted more than 1 million abortions in 2023 and sustained a similar volume through 2025. The reversal did not stop abortions — or the deaths. Enough. We have no recourse but to reinstate Roe Vs. Wade.

Denise Berry

St. Charles