After the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, some on the left misled Americans about what that meant, suggesting that abortions were banned nationwide. In reality, the decision kicked the issue of abortion back to the states where it belongs. But that's not the only area the left is misleading women on regarding the ruling.
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, care for women after miscarriages is also under attack by the GOP.
Republicans are working to drag our nation back to a dark past — with extreme measures to ban abortion, criminalize contraception, in vitro fertilization & post-miscarriage care.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 3, 2022
Democrats will never give up in the fight against Republicans' anti-women, anti-freedom extremism.
Further trying to fearmonger women, some celebs and media outlets are falsely claiming miscarriage care counts as an abortion, suggesting they will no longer take place.
In an Instagram post picked up on by The Hollywood Reporter, "One Tree Hill" actress Hilarie Burton shares her experience with "having an abortion after my fetus died." In other words, getting a D&C, or dilation and curettage, which is a surgical procedure to remove tissue from a uterus after a miscarriage. The procedure is also a common method for early abortions, hence the ability to mislead.
The One Tree Hill star addressed her own abortion experience in the days after the sweeping Supreme Court decision, which will affect people seeking abortion care in around half of the U.S.
Burton, in a lengthy statement, celebrated her daughter with husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and spoke about how her own infertility led to her abortion. “Losing multiple pregnancies before her was traumatic,” she wrote. “But female bodies are all different and unpredictable. Having an abortion after my fetus died allowed for my uterus to heal in a way that made it healthy enough to carry future pregnancies.”
Reinforcing that abortions are used in varying medical situations, Burton stated that “it doesn’t matter if you use the term D&C. The official word on the hospital paperwork is abortion. That’s what it was.”
She also spoke about that “painful day” and ultimately how the court’s ruling will impact the future of all women who seek abortions, regardless of the reason.
“You know what would have made that painful day even worse? If abortion had been illegal, and law enforcement inspected my body to make sure I hadn’t caused my own miscarriage. Cause that’s what’s coming. It’s already happened. It was commonplace before #roevwade,” she wrote.
The actress went on to say that the court’s 1973 ruling protected her “rights as a woman to have miscarriages without scrutiny.” She charged that with overturning Roe v. Wade, “the Supreme Court just said it’s OK for states to look at you as a murder suspect in that situation.”
“Your miscarriage will make you a murder suspect,” Burton continued. “I can’t say this clearly enough or shout it loud enough.”
She ended her story with a reminder that “I only have my daughter because of my abortion,” and with a single message in response to the “right wing extremists who want my daughter to have fewer rights than what I was born with.” (THR)
As to her other point about the terminology, Burton forgot to include the word "spontaneous" before "abortion," which is what miscarriages are also called.
Needless to say, conservatives sounded off on the attempt to scare women into believing they won't receive post-miscarriage care, even in the states that have banned abortion.
A D&C following a miscarriage is not an abortion can we please stop pretending that it is in order to scare women, thank you. https://t.co/3FHDcGKJbC
— Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) July 6, 2022
A D&C procedure after a tragic miscarriage is NOT an abortion.
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) July 6, 2022
An abortion is the purposeful killing of a baby before birth.
It's sad to see how many women don't understand that treatments for ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, septic uterus, etc aren't affected at all if abortion is outlawed in their state. These treatments are NOT abortions; they were available long before Roe v Wade & will be after.
— Gina Bontempo (@FlorioGina) July 6, 2022
You didn’t get an abortion. You suffered a miscarriage. There are 0 laws that prevent miscarriage care. https://t.co/herkgAQIca
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) July 6, 2022
