Based on all the topics concerning the feminist movement, no topic has ever raised a lot of controversies and passion as much as the right to an abortion. In the 1960s and before, no federal laws about abortion existed, and the majority of the states banned abortion except for a case where the life of the mother was in danger (Ziegler, 2014). However, a landmark Supreme Court ruling of the in 1973 came as a reprieve for many women in the United States. on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade affirmed that it is the constitutional right for one to access safe and legal abortion. Even though this ruling attracted criticism from the opponents of abortion, it came as a reprieve for the many young women who had initially been barred from accessing safe abortion. This court ruling was the beginning of safe and legal abortions in America and has continued to be of great importance today to many young women who want to have access to safe abortions. The Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade has continued to play a great role today, allowing women to access safe abortions and reduced the chances of people going for unsafe and risky methods.
Illegalizing abortion does not stop people from undertaking abortions; rather, women would seek alternative means of abortion, which are usually unsafe and illegal, which are risky for human lives. Before the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade in 1973, many women had no access to safe and legal abortion due to the presence of the laws that made it illegal (Ziegler, 2014). Despite the ban, women still opted for other illegal measures which are unsafe and put their lives at risk. However, the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court had changed the whole issue, noting that it is the legal right of women to make choices about safe abortion. Currently, many states have abortion legal under certain conditions, and this allows women to make the right choices about their lives and seek safe abortions from trained and qualified physicians. Due to the Supreme Court ruling, abortion in many states has become one of the safest medical procedures in the United States. Reports show that the safety level for medical abortion is over 99%, meaning that there are fewer chances of the people losing their lives or undergoing certain complications during the process.
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The ruling on Roe v. Wade has not only made safe abortions legalized countrywide but has also provided a precedent that would be used in many Supreme court cases where the restrictions to abortion access. Studies had shown that before this Supreme Court ruling that made safe abortion legal, the practice was unsafe with more than 17% of the women who undertake their lives lose their lives (Garrow, 2014). In many circumstances, many botched abortions can result in loss of life for the individuals. However, currently, the issue has changed in many states that do not have restriction in access to safe abortion, making it more safe and secure process for those who have made a choice. The administration, in many circumstances, put restrictions that make access to safe abortion difficult. However, the Supreme Court has always relied on the Roe v. Wade case as a precedent in making judgment allowing the women the right to have a safe and legal abortion. Even though some people continue to argue against the legalization of safe abortion, more than 70% of Americans are in support of it, with the key argument being the respect for the human rights to make choices concerning their lives, including abortion.
Since the aftermath of Roe v. Wade ruling, many states did not restrict abortion during the first trimester, which is defined as the first three months of pregnancy. Many cases have been presented to court since the landmark ruling, with many attempting to define the extent of the legality of abortion as well as the laws that control it (Garrow, 2014). Even though many states still impose restrictions on the access to safe abortion, many pro-choice and pro-life movements have emerged to support further the need to uphold the Supreme Court ruling.
The Roe v. Wade has allowed the women currently to make the right choices on the timing when they wish to have children based on age, financial stability, and the relationship. The ruling has allowed women to have the choice to plan for their lives and their families and how they want to have and raise children. Legalizing safe abortion have not only relieved the women from risky illegal methods of abortion, but it has also made them make better life choices concerning the way to have children and family (Siegel, 2014). In most cases, the women who choose to go for an abortion do so because of unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. It means that either the woman is not ready financially and emotionally to raise the child, thus leaving them with abortion as the only option. And while some countries make abortion illegal, it does very little to stop people from doing it, but rather increase the cases of unsafe abortions. The 1973 Supreme Court ruling has come to relieve women by allowing them the freedom and right to make choices concerning their lives and to do it safely.
The right to legal and safe abortion has now been in existence for over 45 years, and even though the Supreme Court continues to use it as a precedent, it faces threats from administration and people opposed to safe and legal abortion. Currently, safe abortions are common in the United States with one in every four women having an abortion in their lifetime (Siegel, 2014). The fate of these women remains in question if the calls for the abolishment of the law legalizing safe abortion is to be adhered to. It means that one in every four women will opt to go for unsafe abortion, a move that will increase the risk to the lives of these women. In the countries where abortion is outlawed, deaths from botched abortion are among the causes of death amongst young women. And while the attacks on Roe v. Wade continue, the U.S. Supreme Court has never wavered in its ruling concerning the constitutional right of women to make their life choices including abortion. In cases such as C asey v. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court has held the 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade, protecting the rights of women to have access to safe and legal abortion (Siegel, 2014).
The Roe v. Wade has also played a key role in helping the young girls who are still students to attain higher educational attainment and increase their future job opportunity. In countries where safe abortion is outlawed, there is high levels of school dropout and reduced educational attainment due to pregnancy. Even though there are calls to have the young college girls from engaging in sexual activities until they finish their studies, cases of such pregnancies are still high. Studies show that at least 30% of the girls who drop out of school cite pregnancy as the cause (Schoen, 2015). The Roe v. Wade has had a positive impact on the lives of young girls who can access safe abortion and then get a chance to continue with their education. Overturning the Roe v. Wade can only put the lives of young girls at risks because they will still get access to unsafe abortion.
This 1973 Supreme Court ruling means that women have the right to make their own life choices, including abortion, which the court noted is a right protected by the constitution. In case of scenarios where one has an unplanned pregnancy, they have a safer option to do abortion, which is done by experienced medical professionals rather than going for unsafe risky methods. For example, cases of teenage pregnancy, which leads to school dropout can be done by having safe abortions and allowing the girls to continue with their education. The opponents of the legalization of safe abortion argue based on the religious grounds; they fail to agree to the fact that people still do abortion even if it is outlawed, but using unsafe and risky means which can lead to deaths.
In conclusion, Roe v. Wade came as one of the landmark rulings in the history of the United States concerning the most controversial issue of abortion. While abortion was illegal before this ruling, many women lacked access to safe means of abortion. The court ruled that the right to make choices is protected by the constitution and should not be taken away from an individual. At the same time, the court ruling helped people access safe abortion and avoid the risks of going for unsafe means. Making abortion illegal plays no role in stopping abortion due to the accessibility of other illegal and unsafe means. In the end, lives can be lost when people are denied access to safe and legal abortions.
References
Garrow, D. J., (2014). How Roe v. Wade Was Written. Wash. & Lee L. Rev. , 71 , 893.
Schoen, J., (2015). Abortion after Roe: Abortion after Legalization . UNC Press Books.
Siegel, R. B., (2014). Abortion and the Woman Question: Forty Years of Debate. Ind. LJ , 89 , 1365.
Ziegler, M., (2014). Beyond backlash: Legal history, polarization, and Roe v. Wade. Wash. & Lee L. Rev. , 71 , 969.
