On June 24, 2022, a landmark United States Supreme Court ruling overturned what was once a symbol of the protection of private rights for many: Roe v. Wade. This 1973 case legalized abortion before the fetus was viable, making it a critical centerpiece of the reproductive rights movement.
Over two years later, on Jan. 24, newly sworn–in President Donald Trump (W ‘68) signed an executive order enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which would end the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund and/or promote elective abortion. It rescinded former President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14079, which had defined abortion as “healthcare,” drawing attention to the need to protect patient privacy and access to accurate information on reproductive rights while addressing disparities in reproductive healthcare. States will now have to work much harder to retain reproductive healthcare access, prompting drastic implications down the road as more and more seek out reproductive care under restricted policies.
A deeper look beyond just the realm of policy reveals a clear and drastic shift in sentiment toward abortion or reproductive health and care at a broader level. Several platforms had previously warned of the implications of a second Trump term, and as the American Civil Liberties Union states, another Trump administration could result in the enforcement of the Comstock Act that would ban abortion in every state without exception.
And what exactly is the problem? As George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology Dorothy Roberts puts it, “pregnancy [makes] people vulnerable to government intervention that others would not experience.”
In one particular case decided in 1990, a forced Caesarean section was performed on a terminally ill woman, after which she passed away. An incident such as this could have been considered assault as a result of going through with the procedure without consent, and it exposes the fact that pregnancy makes individuals vulnerable to government intervention in private matters.
Issues like this are what sparked Roberts’ interest in reproductive rights and justice advocacy. As an acclaimed author and professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School who is currently teaching a course on this very topic, she shares that she often discusses with her students the importance of the shifting political climate. “Just last week, I brought to their attention someone that Marco Rubio appointed in the administration, who has made blatantly eugenicist comments about sterilizing—incentivizing sterilization—of low IQ people,” she reflects. “Almost every class involves a discussion of the very meaning of rights.”
The challenges to reproductive rights and justice involve a much broader group, branching into intersections between race, class, and gender. An additional topic explored in Roberts’ course is that of parents providing gender–affirming care to their transgender children—another action being challenged by Trump. Reproductive justice doesn’t just deal with “the right to not have children, but also the right to have children and to parent them in a safe and supported community,” Roberts says.
University campuses have an important role when it comes to such advocacy work as the centers of political movements organized by passionate students—and even educators—learning to use their voice for what matters most to them.
Changes in reproductive health legislation have had a direct effect on educational institutions by undermining trust between students and administrations for fear of repercussions brought about by restrictive state control and impacting the college choice for many. 72% of currently enrolled students find the reproductive health laws in their college or university’s state to be of some level of significance, especially following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision that pivoted power in this matter back to the states.
Here on campus, Penn Reproductive Justice—a group made up of educators, activists, and students—has expanded access to abortion, contraceptives, and education centered around inclusivity when it comes to reproductive health. These are all essential to the needs of the student community, especially for those who may face barriers to these products and services. Challenges surrounding privacy, stigmatization, and cost continue to limit access to reproductive health resources for many. “A lot of it has to do with insurance, which is notoriously difficult and hard to handle. … If you buy anything and you’re under your parents’ insurance, then your parents will know. College kids often don’t have a lot of money,” says Delia Angulo Chen, an undergraduate student from Bryn Mawr College’s Feminist Coalition.
Brisa Kane, a student who helped found the Haverford Students for Reproductive Health organization, further emphasizes the unique role institutions of higher education play. “There’s more stigma around having sex and being on birth control and having an abortion, especially when you’re at a younger age … [so] it’s important to be aware of and talk about reproductive health and access,” she says, also highlighting the inherent responsibility that college and university institutions have to protect and care for their students, a mission to which the accessibility of resources is critical.
From training and recruiting for a peer mentorship program that provides reproductive care products for individuals on campus to loading dispensers and maintaining services that confidentially connect students to Plan B, student organizations are where reproductive rights advocacy thrive.
With novel developments in the politics surrounding reproductive rights and justice, organizations are implementing changes that help to address these pressing concerns. They’re prioritizing product accessibility for students who live in red states, creating an archive of institutional memory in the event that such initiatives are ever challenged, and joining forces with others to spread awareness. As Kaia Susman—another student from Bryn Mawr helping to spearhead the campus’ Feminist Coalition—puts it, “Our goal and my goal is to make people feel empowered [to] make these choices for their body and provide them with all the resources that they need. … Let’s get the word out. Let’s let people know that we’re here.”
However, an important matter to consider is “whether rights should just be protection against government interference or whether it should also be an affirmative obligation of the government to provide the resources that are necessary to actually be free in this nation,” says Roberts. When we consider the fact that there is currently no requirement for the government to provide these resources, we start to tread difficult waters as we branch into questions of whether Medicaid should cover abortion if it can’t be afforded.
Despite these other concerns, Roberts drives home the message that solidarity is needed now more than ever. “Don’t give up hope,” she says. “We can look to the lesson[s] of history and how social movements and people working collectively have been able to make our society better.” She encourages students to take it upon themselves to stay educated and aware, which includes taking courses related to reproductive health.
“There are people that want to take care of and create these support networks for each other in the wake of everything,” Brisa says, “so knowing and trusting in that and trying to get involved in those spaces is really important in this current moment.” She hopes that the work done at local and county levels will amount to something nationally significant. “Leaning on the organizations that are already existing is a way to make yourself feel like, ‘Okay, I’m contributing to something bigger, and it’s not all on me,’” Delia adds.
The fight isn’t over, and there will continue to be setbacks alongside successes. For approximately half of the nation’s population, this issue presents a unique dilemma that weaves between government intervention and rights to privacy. It’s an ongoing and overwhelming issue, but it all harks back to the college students making change, one care package at a time.
