Selina Chen, Period 7, 3/15/2024

Selina Chen Modern Mythology, Period 7, 3/15/24 Research Paper 

                                            

In Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind, we explored the lesson of women empowerment through the stories of the titan Metis and the mortal Medusa who both suffered unfortunate fates at the hands of gods. Metis transformed into many forms to try and save herself but instead ended up being swallowed with her unborn child. I remember the shock in everyone’s expression when realizing Medusa was not the villain that she is always portrayed to be. In every story we have heard before, she was the monster with snake hair that turned anyone who looked in her eyes into stone. She suffered the punishment of Poseidon’s heinous crime while he got away scot free. In today’s society, this is still the case in the topic of women’s rights. 

The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case revolves around Mississippi's Gestational Age Act of 2018 restricting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.  It includes exceptions for medical emergencies or severe fetal abnormalities but does not for cases of rape or incest. This law was challenged by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of Jackson Women's Health Organization, the only abortion clinic left in Mississippi. The Supreme Court's decision in this case was an extremely important decision because it had the potential to either challenge or uphold the precedent set by the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide. This decision would be life changing to women and their rights concerning their body. It could lead to usage of unsafe abortions for women who have no legal way of termination. Women who fall pregnant by rape or incest would be forced to carry the product to full term. 

Since the court ruled that the Constitution of the United States did not confer the right to abortion and overruled the court’s previous decision in Roe v. Wade, it has gained attention due to its ability to reshape the legal landscape surrounding abortion. Following the decision, several states have also passed or attempted to pass similar restrictions on abortion. Texas passed Senate Bill 8, which prohibits abortion once cardiac activity is present in the embryo around 6 weeks. This is one of the most restrictive abortion laws and has continuously faced many legal issues. Other states such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Idaho have also passed laws banning abortions in various circumstances. Overall, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decisions have allowed several states to test the boundaries and implement stricter abortion laws. 

As abortions become illegal in various states, women all around search for ways to get “treatment” without suffering criminal prosecution. On various different social media platforms, many videos and posts have surfaced of people selling herbs to self manage an abortion and some people who are against abortion take it upon social media to spread false information about dangers of abortion. This could leave people who are already confused, even more confused and may guide them towards a dangerous option. According to the Washington Post, postings of different herbs such as mugwort, pennyroyal and blue cohosh have been captioned to help cause a miscarriage at home. These kinds of videos have reached tens of thousands of people and although  they are trying to help, their methods could be harmful. Jen Gunter, a gynecologist has also spoken out against these methods and says none of these herbs are actually proven to help or are safe. Since then, Tiktok and many other social media platforms have removed videos that encourage herbal/natural abortions. 

Many articles also provide the harmful effects of using such herbs such as pennyroyal. This herb contains pulegone which forms toxins and can cause liver disease, according to Josh Trebach, an medicine physician, on the Rolling Stone. Another popular tiktok, which are all taken down now, suggested blue cohosh but did not include the many side effects that this herb would lead to such as hat this could lead to seizures, coma, and even death. The intent of these articles, videos, and posts may not have been made with malicious intent, but simply misinformation. After the Dobbs ruling, people have gotten desperate and has led to people considering unsafe abortions methods. In order to get the most accurate information, deep research must be conducted of the herb or procedure and consider the credentials the person has. Nowadays anyone can publish anything and people will believe it because they are desperate and grasping for straws. 

Today, March 2024, activists against abortions and reproductive rights for women have sued the U.S. FDA over the approval of mifepristone usage. Mifepristone is a drug used for medication abortion and miscarriages. This was approved over 20 years ago, but now a lower court ruling threatens to limit women’s access to it. It feels surreal because just two weeks ago, I saw an article about this pill finally being widely available at pharmacies through a doctor prescription but 14 days later, it is being threatened again. This would affect even states with abortion rights protections and devastate the millions of Americans that face healthcare access barriers. Mifepristone has proven over and over again to be safe and very effective and once again, people are trying to take away women’s rights. On March 26, the Supreme Court will decide the fate of this pill. 

It is important to take note of the parallels between mythology and modern times. Women’s struggles in bodily autonomy and reproductive rights still persist through the years. Their stories serve as a reminder that our voices must be heard and we must do better for ourselves and the future. It is scary to live as a woman in this world where others can inflict harm on us, and we might not be able to get rid of the aftermath. 

People searching for abortion online must wade through misinformation. (2022, July 4). Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/04/abortion-misinformation-herbal-remedies/

Identifying and Combating Abortion Myths and Misinformation. (n.d.). Www.acog.org. https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/identifying-combating-abortion-myths-misinformation

Dickson, E. J., & Dickson, E. J. (2022, June 29). Herbal Abortions Are Going Viral on TikTok. They Could Kill You. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/tiktok-abortion-herbs-misinformation-death-1376101/

Kaufman, R., Brown, R., Martínez Coral, C., Jacob, J., Onyango, M., & Thomasen, K. (2022). Global impacts of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and abortion regression in the United States. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2022.2135574