About abortion…
July 27th, 2007
Women have turned to abortion to end unwanted pregnancies throughout the ages. In the U.S., induced abortion was common among Native Americans, and it was legal from colonial times to the middle of the 19th century. But unclean, primitive medical practices made it very dangerous. To protect women’s lives, laws against abortion began to be passed during the mid-1800s. But by the middle of the 20th century, cleaner, more advanced medical procedures made safe abortion possible. All U.S. laws against abortion were overturned in 1973 by the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Today, abortion is legal nationwide and is one of the safest of all available medical procedures.
About the Roe vs. Wade decision:
Prior to 1973, abortions were permitted in certain states but restricted or almost banned in others. Every state legislature created its own rules. There was no consistency across the U.S. Then, in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered one of its most famous and influential rulings: Roe v. Wade. It declared a Texas anti-abortion statute unconstitutional and thereby affected abortion laws in many other states. 1 The Supreme Court justices determined that, anywhere in the U.S.:
| During the first three months of pregnancy, a woman and her physician may jointly decide to terminate a pregnancy. No significant state interference is allowed. | |
| Later in pregnancy, states can restrict abortion access with laws but only if they are intended to protect the woman’s health. | |
| Once the fetus is viable, an abortion must still be available if the woman’s health or life are at risk. State governments are free to pass legislation that will allow or prohibit late-term abortions — those on a viable fetus — for other reasons. |
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