On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled nearly 50 years of precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade. The landmark decision, made by a conservative-majority court shaped during President-elect Donald Trump’s first presidency, upended reproductive rights across the country and left millions navigating a fraught landscape of reproductive healthcare restrictions.
Now, the stakes are higher than ever.
Trump reclaimed the presidency following the Nov. 5, 2024 election amid a wave of debate about women’s bodily autonomy. Sixty-three percent of Americans believe abortions should be legal in most or all cases, according to a May 2024 survey by the Pew Research Center; but the general public’s concerns about reproductive rights still weren’t enough to halt Trump’s rise to power.
On Jan. 20, Trump will officially reassume office, and the nation faces an uncertain future — particularly when it comes to reproductive freedoms. As Trump enters his second term, I’m concerned about the policies he and the right-leaning House and Senate may implement during the next four years and the long-term effect these policies will have.
Nineteen states already have bans or restrictions placed on abortions, causing countless clinics to shut their doors, The New York Times reported. In Pennsylvania, abortion remains legal but is restricted to 23 weeks. However, as America’s political ground continues to shift, the permanence of this freedom is unknown. The specter of a Republican-controlled House and Senate looms large, bringing renewed fears of federal restrictions, or worse, a nationwide abortion ban.
As the next generation of leaders and advocates, students must recognize their power to influence change. Students and young Americans can shift political landscapes through active participation in their local communities by volunteering at local resource centers and being politically engaged in local or state elections.
Defending reproductive rights should not be political – it’s about protecting fundamental freedoms and healthcare for all. A government should never have control of an individual’s personal and private healthcare, particularly women’s reproductive rights.
Throughout his campaign, Trump’s views on abortion bans shifted. In March 2024, Trump stood for a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. However, toward the end of his run for candidacy, he supported abortion being an issue that should be decided by individual states, not the federal government. He believed in exceptions like rape, incest and the life of the mother.
“My view is, now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” Trump said in a video released on Truth Social, a social media company owned by Trump Media.
This rhetorical dodge does little to reassure Americans who value their right to bodily autonomy. During his first presidency, Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, who paved the way for this seismic rollback in reproductive rights.
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, doctors in states where abortion is banned have denied women emergency abortion procedures due to fears of losing their jobs and medical licenses or facing jail time. Project 2025, a far-right political initiative often paraded by far-right supporters of Trump, also threatens to eliminate access to medical abortions and deny access to abortion care in emergencies.
If Trump chooses to push forth a complete federal ban on abortions or implement ideologies within Project 2025, all Americans’ freedom of discrete and safe reproductive healthcare will be at risk.
In the face of such dangers, all individuals must be aware of the available resources regarding reproductive rights and healthcare. Individuals denied abortions are more likely to live in poverty, stay in abusive relationships and experience health complications, according to a 2023 study by Turnaway Study, a reproductive health group at the University of California.
Further, 61% of people who had abortions from June 2021 to July 2022 were in their 20s, making young Americans disproportionately affected by the restriction of reproductive rights.
Beyond abortion, other facets of reproductive healthcare are also in jeopardy. Legislation protecting access to IVF treatment stalled in Congress last year, with nearly every Republican senator voting against it. With a Republican majority in the Senate, the future of access to medical care like IVF hangs in the balance.
The erosion of reproductive rights doesn’t stop within the doctor’s office; it represents a much deeper issue that we as young Americans may see going forth into the next four years. The infringement of healthcare strikes at the core of privacy, dignity and respect all people deserve. It forces individuals to navigate a labyrinth of laws and restrictions, occasionally at great personal and financial cost.
Reproductive restrictions exacerbate systemic inequalities and disproportionately harm marginalized groups including people of color, low-income individuals and the LGBTQ+ community.
But amid the uncertainty, the greatest power an individual can have is knowledge. Resources like ReproductiveRights provide critical information on access to birth control and abortion. In Philadelphia, organizations like Planned Parenthood and AlphaCare offer healthcare, education and support for AFAB individuals. Nationally, the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project helps those in financial need access obstetric care.
Knowledge is a powerful tool, but so is taking action. To defend such rights it is important to get involved. In Philadelphia, healthcare providers like Planned Parenthood rely on volunteers to assist with tasks like patient escorting and community outreach.
Other organizations like the Women’s Law Project, Reproductive Freedom for All and the Center of Reproductive Rights work to protect reproductive freedoms through legal action, lobbying and public education.
It’s dire for students to stay vigilant, informed and actively participate in defending the rights they deserve. Reproductive freedom is a subject that all must work to protect through awareness and advocacy, even as the political landscape heads toward uncertain times.
As we are just days away from Trump’s second term, young Americans will be tested on their resilience in fighting for bodily autonomy and all must try to defend it.
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