what part of us is free without choice?

—PH

I have taken two abortion pills in my life, but probably not for what you're thinking. In both of those cases, I was not pregnant. Instead, I followed the doctor's orders to get a copper intrauterine device (IUD) inserted into me. 

For the uninitiated, IUDs are a reliable form of contraception that can last up to 3-10 years, depending on the kind you get (hormone or copper IUD). Instead of taking a pill daily or applying a new patch every week, you simply need to replace your IUD every couple of years. Before getting an IUD, you must take the misoprostol pill to empty your uterus. 

Misoprostol can also be used in a medication-assisted abortion. To be honest, I did not bat an eyelash about taking the pill because I knew I was not pregnant and I was making the right decision for my body. What I did not know at the time is that a couple of years later, women would lose their legal right to have access to that very pill. 

The recent overturning of Roe worries me because of its implications for future legislation on women's rights and whether or not we have the final say about what can and cannot happen to our bodies. 

Although my personal history with misoprostol is minor compared to other childbearing folks who have had to take it for much more complicated reasons (health risks, miscarriages, rape, incest, fiscal inequities, etc.), I am sharing my story as a reminder that Roe is not just about abortion rights. Instead, it is about the fundamental freedom to choose what you want for yourself. 

As a society—and most importantly, as a democracy—we have started falling down a slippery slope. It makes me wonder if we can continue to consider ourselves the shiny democratic "city upon a hill" from which the rest of the world looks for inspiration. What part of us is shiny, democratic, or free if we cannot allow women to exercise their freedom of choice?