They’ve been performed for centuries, debated and picketed for decades and a staple topic of presidential platforms each election.

A woman’s right to an abortion is one topic that will continue to divide the population.

While currently legal in all 50 states, trigger laws—laws which place more burdens on a woman’s ability to get an abortion such as restricting insurance plans and forcing a waiting period on those seeking a procedure—are still enforced in almost every state. Though the Supreme Court issued a decision on abortion in 1973, the general stigma associated with it has not faded despite time or its legality.

It’s time we start being realistic—unexpected pregnancies happen, and no, not just because of unprotected sex. Birth control fails, condoms break and as seen most recently, rape happens more often than we think. Yet, states all over the nation pass new legislation each year to make one’s right to an abortion as challenging as possible.

Aside from the implication of trigger laws, pro-life supporters for decades have sought to defund Planned Parenthood centers across the nation because many of them provide abortion services. What those who don’t support a woman’s choice are forgetting is that Planned Parenthood’s goal first and foremost is to provide preventative pregnancy measures.

About half the population believes they should have a say in the birth of a life they will have no effect upon and take no part in. If teenagers have a baby, they are scrutinized because they are a child having a child. If an adult has a baby, but needs government assistance, such as food stamps or WIC, to take care of her child she is seen as taking advantage of the system or unfit to have had a child in the first place.

Having a baby in today’s society is a bit of a double-edged sword.

Many pro-life supporters argue that adoption is a viable choice for a woman carrying a child to full term, but the reality is adoption in America is overly saturated with unwanted children. According to the Adoption Network, only 135,000 children are adopted each year in America of the 428,000 in foster care. By limiting access to birth control and one’s right to terminate a pregnancy we are only contributing to an everlasting and growing problem.

Legislation restricting a woman’s right to an abortion does not save lives, it inhibits the lives forced to be brought into this world.

While arguments such as these have been made for centuries we are currently witnessing the birth of a new era. Hundreds of women are coming forward with their stories of sexual abuse and the nation is hearing them out once more. This is proof speaking out about topics such as these with persistence will stop the problem from pursuing.

It’s time the stigma surrounding abortions disappears and people stop believing they have the right to make decisions that affect lives other than their own. Pregnancy is not always a choice. Women should be able to choose whether a baby is right for their body and their life.

It’s been 98 years since women were granted suffrage, 45 since Roe v. Wade and far too damn long for a woman not to have all rights over her body.