Padma Lakshmi Has A Warning About The Roe V Wade Ruling
People on the West Coast were probably reaching for their first cups of coffee when the news broke that the Supreme Court had voted 6 to 3 on the fate of Roe v Wade. In the words of Justice Samuel Alito, per NPR: "We hold the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion."
Social media lit up with voices from both sides, some in celebration that Roe v Wade, which had protected a woman's right to an abortion, had been done away with. But many were shocked and angry. Among the outraged was "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, who pointed out on Twitter what many women already know to be true. She wrote: "People will still get abortions. These procedures won't stop just because Roe v. Wade is overturned. This will only prevent safe, legal abortions from taking place.
She further warned: "People who have the money, time, and resources will still find avenues for their procedures. But the most vulnerable of our community? What choices are those individuals, who are mostly BIPOC, left with? This is the catalyst for a public health crisis."
Lakshmi's words echo warnings made by health professionals
Padma Lakshmi didn't end there. She tweeted, "The right to decide when to start a family or not is a choice every individual should be able to make on their terms when the time is right for them. This freedom and dignity is something we should all fight to preserve." Lakshmi called on "pro-life" supporters, too, adding, "I wish more people understood that the decision to have an abortion is deeply personal and complex. It's a decision that should be treated with compassion and empathy, not vilified or criminalized."
Lakshmi's words resonated with her social media followers, many of whom rallied around her in shock, disbelief, and anguish over the Supreme Court's ruling. "I feel so helpless — as a woman, as a human," one social media user said.
Medical workers have already expressed the same concerns that Lakshmi has, with one board-certified OBGYN, Jamila Perritt, warning that "the same folks that are impacted by inequities in maternal health outcomes — Black women, indigenous folks, LGBTQ communities, young people, those living on low incomes — are the same ones that are going to be deeply impacted and more brutally enacted by restricting access to abortion care," via ABC.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) consider abortion to be an important part of women's health care. According to the ACOG, in instances of pregnancy complications, "abortion can often be the only measure to save the mother's health," ABC notes.