It seems as though the issues surrounding abortion and contraception stepped back into the limelight in February after the Obama administration required the Roman Catholic Church to provide contraception as part of employee health plans. Several other recent laws also have hit the headlines, such as North Carolina’s law requiring all women considering abortion to receive a transvaginal ultrasound, a procedure many opponents equate to state-mandated rape.

Of course, abortion and contraception always are controversial issues, but I’m inclined to believe many of these new laws are taking it a step too far. Arizona recently signed into law the Women’s Health and Safety Act, which, despite its name, is one of the worst bills for women’s rights in recent American history. This law defines pregnancy as beginning on the first day of a woman’s last period, essentially saying that a woman can be considered pregnant before she even has the sex that causes her unwanted pregnancy.

If this is the definition of pregnancy, and if these terms were to serve as the basis for future laws restricting women’s rights, it’s possible laws could be enacted requiring that all women should pre-emptively refrain from any activities deemed harmful to their maybe fetus. For instance, if this law was taken to extremes, laws could be put into effect that restrict the ability of women to drink alcohol and caffeine, smoke cigarettes or engage in any other potentially harmful activities for fear of unwittingly aborting their unborn and potentially unfertilized child. Of course, this is an extreme example, but if we continue to let laws like Arizona’s Women’s Health and Safety Act become legitimate legislation, this ridiculous example could become an unpleasant reality.

Michigan’s law remains rather open concerning abortion by continuing to offer relatively open and safe access for women who choose to terminate a pregnancy. However, there are several anti-choice bills currently on the table in the Michigan Legislature that threaten to change that.

One such bill, House Bill 4688, would restrict access to emergency contraception such as the Morning-After pill by requiring that a doctor be present to prescribe the pill rather than allowing abortion providers to hold video conferences with licensed physicians to accomplish the same goal. Another pair of bills, House Bill 5343 and House Bill 5344, would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks without providing exceptions for rape and incest. And yet another bill, House Joint Resolution HH, would establish the right to life at fertilization, thus banning abortion completely and overturning Roe v. Wade.

These are only a few examples of the types of laws that could come into effect in Michigan. There still are many similar bills currently under consideration in the Legislature. Clearly something has to be done to prevent these bills from passing, or women’s rights in Michigan will become severely limited.

This issue is more than just another fight between pro-life and pro-choice. Fighting for or against these laws can be equated to fighting for the right to control women’s bodies. Pro-life proponents often paint women who receive abortions as having loose morals or as making poor decisions by choosing not to use contraception. However, the truth or falsity of that image should have no effect over the right of women to choose to terminate a pregnancy. One woman’s momentary lapse in judgment should not change the rights all women have to make independent decisions about what happens to their bodies.

Particularly frightening are laws that threaten to restrict access to contraception, like House Resolution 185, which currently is under consideration in Michigan. If approved, this bill threatens to reverse the Department of Health and Human Services regulation that employers provide health insurance that covers birth control without co-pays. This bill claims to be defending religious freedom, but is essentially just another attack on birth control. If access to contraception is limited and abortion banned outright, the options for women to choose responsible methods to protect their sexual and reproductive health would be severely limited.

On April 28, a Michigan Unites Against the War on Women Rally was held at the state Capitol. Several local women’s rights activists spoke at the rally, demanding “equal rights, representation, opportunities and respect” for women.

If an issue like women’s rights is important to you, you should take the time to make your voice heard and fight for what you believe in. Although it might sometimes feel as if one voice doesn’t make much of a difference in the eyes of lawmakers, it does. It’s the individuals coming together that make the whole. If enough people demonstrate that they care about these issues, then progress can be made and women’s rights can take another step forward, instead of two steps back.

Caron Creighton is a guest columnist at The State News and a professional writing senior. Reach her at creigh16@msu.edu.