**Op-ed: Shaping the Future of Abortion Policies**

By:  Marla Fernandez — AUG. 27, 2022, 7:21 PM

With the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade at the federal level, the landscape of abortion rights in the United States is shifting significantly. While Colorado, a state with strong support for late-term abortion, may not see many dramatic court decisions, other states are poised to redefine the legal parameters of this contentious issue.

In states that push back against abortion, new legal definitions will emerge, and movements to ban abortion will need to create a timeline. Three certainties underpin this debate: a woman conceives, a human grows, and eventually, the woman gives birth. From a medical perspective, a healthy woman can conceive and not seek medical attention until she delivers, and the process of growing a human is relatively straightforward.

Crucially, the U.S. Constitution guarantees every human the right to ‘life.’ For the pro-life movement, the challenge lies in establishing when ‘life’ begins on this timeline. While some argue that life commences the moment a baby leaves the birth canal, this position is often seen as absurd by many. There are even legislators willing to take the abortion debate beyond the moment of birth, as evidenced by recent bills introduced in Colorado that champion abortion post-birth. Such discussions often thrive on absurd arguments.

It’s important to recognize that concerns about late-term abortion shrinking nationwide are often couched in claims of being ‘for the life of the mother.’ However, more often than not, it is ‘for the lifestyle of the mother’ that motivates these discussions. Nature intended for pregnancies to progress without major complications, and maternal mortality rates for pregnancy-related issues are relatively low.

Abortion in the early weeks of pregnancy can be achieved through the use of a ‘morning-after pill.’ In contrast, Colorado allows abortion to be sought as late as the third trimester, a stage where ectopic pregnancies are virtually non-existent, and the baby is well-developed. Late-term abortions are intricate and often harrowing procedures that cannot be equated to taking a pill.

As the daughter of an immigrant from Cuba, a totalitarian country where individual liberties were often curtailed, I view a baby’s right to life as the paramount symbol of liberty and freedom. Once conceived, an innocent and vulnerable baby deserves our unwavering advocacy. A baby is not an illness, cancer, or a mere clump of cells. We must adopt the same motto in the fight against abortion as we do in advocating for gun control: ‘If it just saves one life.’

In this evolving landscape of abortion policies, it’s essential that we engage in thoughtful and respectful discourse to find common ground that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals involved.