Some states will be including initiatives stating that a human life begins at the moment of fertilization, "personhood initiatives", on ballots this fall. If they are passed, fertilized eggs will be considered people with all constitutional rights.
The anti-choices hope abortions will be banned as a result; a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. According to Feminist eZine, the source for this article, this law would put a woman’s right to certain forms of contraceptive in jeopardy, which would include the IUD and emergency contraception. Stem cell research and in-vitro fertilization would also suffer repercussions.
In 2008, the Colorado Personhood Initiative was defeated by 73 percent.
The egg-as-person amendments were approved to be on the ballots this fall in Mississippi and Colorado, and anti-choicers are trying to get them approved in California. They failed in Nevada, but Personhood NV has appealed the decision to the Nevada Supreme Court; a decision will be made on May 18.
In North Dakota the House passed an egg-as-person bill last spring, but it was defeated by the Senate. In the Dominican Republic, fertilized eggs are being given constitutional rights, thus effectively banning abortion in this underdeveloped country. This lack of reproductive choice will have a tremendous effect on the poor women of this nation.
Feminist eZine says, "If you tell people that an egg is a person and should have constitutional rights enough times, people will start to believe it."
This initiative is the anti-choicers’ newest tactic, according to Feminist eZine.
“Anti-choicers want this to be an expensive fight for us. They want us to use all of our time and resources fighting something that probably doesn’t stand much of a chance at this point anyway.”
They are encouraging students on campuses, the majority of whom are pro-choice, to fight this egg-as-person initiative. The eZine says, “If you are in Colorado or Mississippi don’t waste any time! Set the stage for major defeat this fall."