What’s happening with Roe v. wade?
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the court case Roe v. Wade in the news as more conservative states are restricting access to abortions.
Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Court case in the 70s that challenged states’ restrictions on abortions, making them illegal unless the mother’s life was in danger. The Supreme Court ruled that women had a right to an abortion during the first trimester, based on her right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment. Before Roe v. Wade, it was illegal to have an abotortion except for a few reasons such as rape, incest, fetal anomaly, and preserving the health of the mother. Roe v. Wade overturned those laws, affecting over 46 states. Roe v. Wade allowed for safer and more abortions to happen across the country, while also giving rise to the divided “pro-choice” and “pro-life” movements.
For nearly two years, there has been a Republican conservative majority in the Supreme Court that has been trying to overturn Roe v. Wade and make it more difficult to get an abortion. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, then each state would put in their own laws regarding the legality of abortions. This would make it extremely difficult to get an abortion in states in majority-conservative areas such as the midwest and the south. An estimated 22 states are likely to ban or put severe restrictions on getting an abortion. Women who are living in one of those states and needing an abortion must overcome great challenges to access a safe procedure. For instance, a woman living in the midwest would have to travel far and out-of-state to get an abortion professionally done, and for some, that is difficult due to lack of transportation, work hours, or low funds. If traveling is not a possibility, due to concerns about missing work and not receiving pay, then some women risk getting an unsafe, illegal abortion without the supervision of a doctor or clinic. Some women will risk their lives to get an abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. It is frightening to consider the consequences that millions of women will have to face if the case gets overturned. Unfortunately, it will most likely be because there is a Republican majority in the Supreme Court (6:3). We will most likely know in June. But until then, the pro-choice movement, including youth advocates, will work as actively as possible to defend Roe v. Wade and the right of all women to obtain safe, legal abortions.
Sources:
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/3013/9611/5870/Abortion_Roe_History.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/17/us/politics/supreme-court-roe-wade.html
