With near-total bans on abortion in 14 states, the laws on miscarriage are vague – stoking fears of criminal consequences and leaving women desperate

With near-total bans on abortion in 14 states, the laws on miscarriage are vague – stoking fears of criminal consequences and leaving women desperate

For a long time after her miscarriage, Rebecca sat on the toilet, trying to figure out what to do.

“I thought about fishing it out of the bloody water,” she said. “I didn’t really want to hold it in my hand. I also didn’t know what I would do with it afterwards. Am I gonna put it in the trash? Am I gonna dig a hole in the backyard? What the hell am I supposed to do? I had no idea.”

It was around 3 or 4 in the morning; her husband was trying to get some sleep before work. She was exhausted and in shock.

“Ultimately, I flushed it. I didn’t want to,” Rebecca said. As she thought about it all again, she kept repeating herself: “I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.”

Rebecca, who is from Ohio, experienced that miscarriage in fall of 2014. Nine years and one supreme court decision later, another distraught woman would also miscarry into a toilet in Ohio – but after she tried to flush, she would have a very different experience. Her case would ultimately land a national spotlight on the anguish, uncertainty and even danger that millions of women, like Rebecca, have experienced in the minutes and hours after a miscarriage.

  • FenrirIII@lemmy.world
    75·
    5 months ago

    The ambiguity and potential legal threats around getting pregnant are the worst part. There’s no clear process and the law will be applied selectively, usually to hurt people. This whole thing is so messed up.

  • FollyDolly@lemmy.world
    60·
    5 months ago

    All this is happening while the older generation screeches at us to have children. No thank you, I’d rather not spend time in jail and who knows how much on court costs just because my body decided to miscarry.

  • BossDj@lemm.ee
    49·
    5 months ago

    Women will stop going to the doctor at all to make sure there’s no record of their pregnancy, just in case

  • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
    42·
    5 months ago

    Yup these laws are about punishing women for being imperfect vessels. To the pro birthers, If a women has a miscarriage it’s obviously she did something wrong and needs to be punished. These people also believe miscarriages only existe because feminism, roe v wade, and women not accepting their place below man. Flee pro birth States! If you live in a pro choice state help those who are not get out.

  • AndaliteBandit@lemmy.world
    414·
    5 months ago

    The lesson learned here is " the only way to win is not to play". The rise in DINKS has already begun and I’m sure will accelerate in response to this nonsense. Soon the ratio of wanted children to unwanted will tip and violent crime will rise. There is a great section in freakonomics about this. I’m putting my money where my mouth is and partner is getting fixed tomorrow!

    • paholg@lemm.eeEnglish
      1412·
      5 months ago

      I’m sorry, but that’s a shit take. If someone wants to have kids, they shouldn’t worry about legal trouble in the case of miscarriage. Full stop.

      No one should be okay with the government having this much overreach.

  • pottedmeat7910@lemmy.world
    25·
    5 months ago

    I know it’s the epitome of privledge to say this and I know it can be impossible for a lot of people for any number of reasons…

    But…

    If you are a woman of childbearing age and are, or even plan to be pregnant, run as fast as you can away from these states.

    There was a time, not long ago, when birthing children was potentially dangerous or even fatal without modern medical care. By outlawing that care, you’re taking a hard dive right back into those medieval conditions. Woman can, will, and are dying because of these laws. It’s horribly, horribly, horribly wrong, and I hope it gets reversed soon.

    But until then? Run.

  • ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml
    21·
    5 months ago

    That’s actually so fucked up that it’s basically illegal to have a miscarriage.

  • Lath@kbin.social
    16·
    5 months ago

    The obvious solution here is to not get pregnant. …

    This train of thought gets me thinking. What if these religious wackos actually understand what they’re doing and their purpose is grinding procreation of a certain class to a halt?

    In Texas, the vast majority of new births are latino. “White ppl” aren’t having kids. What if this is intentional and those dumb fucks aren’t just shooting themselves in the face?

    Could it be that these religious conservatives decided to take their toys from Earth and fuck off to whatever heaven they think they’re going to?
    “You can’t have white people anymore! We’re killing them all and letting you rot here on your own. We’re going to heaven and you’re not, hah!”

    … Nah, can’t be. They’re probably just dumb.