By Skye Sheehy
With the 2024 presidential election a mere two months away, hot-button political issues have the potential to become the difference between victory and defeat. This election is especially important for reproductive rights, which encapsulates the right to abortion and alternative modes of conception, such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Support for abortion access has increased steadily since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022; 7 in 10 Americans agree that abortion should be legal, according to AP News. This is also the first time in 40 years that the official Republican platform does not include a federal abortion ban, which Forbes reports 64% of Republican voters agree with.
Examining opinions across the Puget Sound community, many are in support of abortion for a number of reasons. Hazel Karon Snow (‘28) is concerned with the safety of the person giving birth, mentioning conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome “where it can be really, really dangerous to have kids.” According to the World Health Organization, conditions that impact fertility and pregnancy are often undiagnosed until symptoms become severe, causing serious damage to the mother and child.
One of the main arguments of pro-choice activists is that abortion is an individual decision that the government should not have a say in, which was echoed in interviews across campus. Karon Snow said that it should ultimately be up to the birthgiver to make any definitive choices. Caleb McLean (‘28) echoed this sentiment.“Even people who are pro-life—I know a lot of people who are pro-life that I’m friends with and that I respect—they don’t think that they have the right to decide what other people do with their bodies,” he said.
Former President Trump’s contradictory statements on reproductive rights are both concerning and confusing to students. McLean was confused by Trump’s statements on abortion at the presidential debate on Sept. 10, where Trump expressed a more moderate stance than is usually reflected in the Republican platform. McLean was hesitant in believing Trump’s leniency, saying that Trump is “just saying that so close to the election to try and get some votes.” Trump has made indifferent statements on abortion, claiming that the national abortion conversation doesn’t matter, because this issue has now been taken over by the states. However, Trump has voiced his support for a six-week abortion ban in Florida, indicating that the issue remains well within his attention.
Looking toward the future, Karon Snow doesn’t “believe much will change” if Trump wins in terms of opening up access for abortion care, as Trump aims to send the power back to the states. “I do not believe that he should be sending the power back to the states, I think we should protect the rights nationwide,” she said. Karon Snow raised the point that in some states, the privatization of hospitals can prevent women from getting the healthcare they need. “The fact that a Catholic organization that runs a hospital can just say no or can fire doctors that are providing life saving care is kind of crazy to me.”
In contrast to Trump’s policies, Vice President Harris’ pro-choice stance has been well-received by students. “I think what she’s running on is federally writing abortion into law, so that anyone can get an abortion, and I think that’s super powerful,” said McLean. McLean expressed his hope that electing Harris as president would open the door for better education around abortion, so that there aren’t “people who look like me, like straight white men, just thinking abortion is something that it’s not.”
Much of the conversation around reproductive rights focuses on the right to terminate a pregnancy, but the right to get pregnant using alternative means (IVF) is also on the ticket. IVFis a process through which eggs are fertilized outside the body and then transferred to the uterus. While 70% of Americans support IVF, according to Pew Research Center, the reversal of Roe v. Wade has presented new obstacles in accessibility. Earlier this year, an Alabama hospital paused IVF services which sparked debate over the validity and maturity of the eggs used in IVF treatment. At Puget Sound, IVF is supported but not well understood. In talking through the logistics of IVF, Karon Snow mentioned the hormone treatments that are part of the process, but was not aware of how the rest of the creation of the “test tube baby,” as she called it, worked. Renee Simms, Associate Professor of African-American studies, believes in access to IVF treatments. “It’s something that’s very important and significant in changing the lives of people who are trying to get pregnant,” she said. “It should be accessible to those who need it,” she added.
Despite the University’s presence in a liberal state that has not passed restrictions on reproductive rights, the concern for those rights is still very much present in students’ minds. When talking about the college decision process, Karon Snow shared that she chose not to apply anywhere that would restrict her reproductive rights access, which limited some of her choices. Considering where someone will feel most safe and at home is a key part of the college decision process, but the safety of privacy and bodily autonomy has also become a factor in that decision.
Ultimately, students and faculty encouraged the campus to register to vote, and to vote for who will guarantee their rights in the long run. “Think about your vote not just in terms of what can be done today, but what could be done four years from now, 10 years from now,” Professor Simms advised. Students are similarly adamant about the importance of voting. McLean said, addressing the Puget Sound community, “If you care about the women in your life, and you think that they deserve liberty, which everyone should, you should vote for the candidate that will make abortion a federal protected law.”