How Overturning Roe v. Wade May be Affecting Your (Mental) Health

By: Dr. Denise Renye

Do you find your mental health is different after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade? Are you angry, sad, anxious, or afraid? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve seen evidence in my own practice and I’ve also read reports of people stockpiling emergency contraception and abortion pills because they’re worried about not having access to that sort of healthcare if they need it. Along with that, sexual intercourse that can result in pregnancy is laced with more anxiety. It feels riskier because people with uteruses may be forced to carry a fetus to term even if they don’t want to.

I also want to be clear here that the Supreme Court’s decision affects some folx more than others, specifically those living in Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming who have “trigger laws” that went into effect as soon as the Supreme Court made its decision. Plus, 13 more states plan to enact abortion bans now that they are allowed to do so. In other words, about half of the U.S. will restrict abortions!

There’s also the reality that abortion affects income brackets differently. Low-income people with uteruses are more than five times as likely than affluent folx to have an unintended pregnancy, which is associated with higher rates of poverty, less family stability, and worse outcomes for children, according to the Brookings Institute. In other words, an unplanned pregnancy can make a challenging situation even worse.

Some people may say, “Well, they can just travel to a state where abortions are allowed. Problem solved.” Problem not solved because some folx may not have the funds to fly to another state or drive hundreds of miles away. It reminds me of Lindy West who wrote on Literary Hub back in November 2019, “The truth of abortion is that people need abortions and always will. You cannot legislate abortion out of existence – you can control only who has safe abortions and who has dangerous ones, who is considered a full person in the eyes of her government and who is a state-owned incubator, who is free and who is not.”

She also said on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “Conservative politicians – their wives and mistresses and daughters – are always going to be able to get an abortion somewhere. All criminalizing abortion will do is keep people trapped in poverty for generations. That’s the goal, and if it wasn’t the goal, they would spend their time and money on comprehensive sex education, free birth control, and free contraception.”

Precisely. These politicians don’t actually care about babies. They care about control and people are suffering and will suffer as a result. Did you know that pregnancy increases the risk of domestic violence, both during the pregnancy and for 1.5 years after birth, according to research? It’s a vicious cycle because domestic violence is a risk factor for unplanned pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy increases the risk of domestic violence. Domestic violence survivors in turn have higher rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation.

Those are the physical consequences. There are also mental consequences. The American Psychological Association (APA) recognizes restricting abortion can lead to poor mental health and APA President Frank C. Worrell, PhD said, “Rigorous, long-term psychological research demonstrates clearly that people who are denied abortions are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety, lower life satisfaction and lower self-esteem compared with those who are able to obtain abortions. In addition, there is no research to indicate that abortion is a cause for subsequent mental health diagnoses.”

In other words, not having access to abortion is damaging in numerous ways, more so than having one. Abortion rights is a health issue, a class issue, and certainly a mental health issue.

To set up an appointment with me (Marin County Sexologist), click here.

Journal prompts:

·      How can I create space and time for my feelings around the recent Supreme Court decision that overturns  Roe v. Wade?

·      What type of support might I need in these times and who are the people I can count on to be there for and with me?

·      Are there any actions I can take that are aligned with my values?

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References

Finnbogadóttir, Hafrun; Dykes Anna-Karin. “Increasing Prevalence And Incidence Of Domestic Violence During The Pregnancy And One And A Half Year Postpartum, As Well As Risk Factors: A Longitudinal Cohort Study In Southern Sweden.” BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. October 26, 2016. https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-016-1122-6#citeas

Reeves, Richard V; Venator, Joanna. “Report: Sex, contraception, or abortion? Explaining class gaps in unintended childbearing.” Brookings Institute. February 26, 2015. https://www.brookings.edu/research/sex-contraception-or-abortion-explaining-class-gaps-in-unintended-childbearing/

West, Lindy. “Lindy West on Breaking the Silence Around Abortion.” Literary Hub. November 5, 2019. https://lithub.com/lindy-west-on-breaking-the-silence-around-abortion/

West, Lindy on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. November 29, 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9249140/