Rape Pregnancies and Consequent PTSD Resulting From The Overturning of Roe v. Wade

Authors: Emma Lindenfelser, Nenette Nti-Agyemang, Ellen Davis, Yulia Garaeva

Field of Study: Social Sciences

Faculty Mentors: Jeffery Lum

Easel: 16

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: The intersection of reproductive health and politics has historically shaped women’s healthcare, particularly influencing availability of abortion services. The 1973 Roe v Wade decision legalized abortions and allowed American women to access life-saving care on a national level. Fifty years later, politics and women’s health evolved again following the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v Wade decimating federal protections of abortion. The research presents a direct prediction that one in 20 women in the United States will be affected by this matter as rape-related pregnancies and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for mothers and their children will increase in the immediate future. The overturning of Roe v Wade has restricted racial and economic minorities from access to abortion in one-third of the United States. By re-electing Donald Trump’s administration, who employs healthcare officials with no medical training like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., equal access to reproductive care is threatened.