In 1973, the United States Supreme Court presided over the Roe v. Wade case. The justice’s majority opinion ruled in favor of legalizing abortion (Roe V. Wade, 1973). Unfortunately, state lawmakers recently passed regulations limiting and/or preventing women from exercising this constitutional entitlement.
Social Problem
Prior to the Supreme Court judgement in Roe v. Wade, women in the United States put their health in danger by seeking illegal abortions (Vecera, 2014). In the 1950’s and 1960’s, 200,000 to one million U.S. women sought unlawful termination procedures (Gold, 2003). Gold (2003) reports, in 1930 close to 2,700 women lost their lives due to illegal abortions. With the advancement in medical science and the discovery of antibiotics, by 1965 the death rate fell to about 200 deaths (Gold, 2003). Illegal abortions caused minorities to suffer higher rates of injury (Gold, 2003). In 1962, Harlem Hospital in New York City treated 1,600 low-income women for incomplete abortions (Gold, 2003). Also, in 1968, the University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Medical Center, treated over 700 underprivileged women with abortion infections (Gold, 2003). Similarly, the abortion death rate among minority women was disproportionate (Gold, 2003). For example, “in New York City in the early 1960s, one in four childbirth-related deaths among white women was due to abortion; in comparison, abortion accounted for one in two childbirth-related deaths among nonwhite and Puerto Rican women. From 1972 to 1974, the mortality rate due to illegal abortion for non-white women was 12 times that for white women” (Gold, 2003, para. 9 & 10). In general, abortions were illegal in the United States from mid-19th century until January 22, 1973 (Gold, 2003). Then, the feminist social movement and the open-minded sexual viewpoints in the 1960’s shifted the nation’s opinion on abortion (Vecera, 2014). In 1962, the American Law Institute (ALI), published “Model Penal Code on Abortion”, appealing for legal abortions due to incest, rape, birth defects, and health risks. (Gold, 2003). As a result, by 1972, 13 states adopted ALI rulings and four states reversed antiabortion laws (Gold, 2003). In 1970, Jane Doe (acronym) filed a lawsuit stating Texas anti-abortion laws violated a woman’s right to privacy under the fourth, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments (Roe V. Wade, 1973). Unmarried and pregnant, Miss Roe filed the claim in the interest of all women and their reproductive rights (Roe V. Wade, 1973). Policy/Legislation On January 22, 1973, pursuant to the case Roe V. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, the United States Supreme Court under the right to privacy, granted women the right terminate a pregnancy. The verdict would …show more content…
Wade opened the door for doctors to perform abortions in hospitals and outpatient clinics. The best example of such services is Planned Parenthood and their programs. Today, “Planned Parenthood provides sexual and reproductive health care, education, information, and outreach to nearly five million women, men, and adolescents worldwide in a single year (Planned Parenthood, 2016, para 4). In addition to abortions, Planned Parenthood provides over 250,000 Pap smear tests, over 350,000 breast exams, and tests and/or treats over 4 million people in the U.S. for sexually transmitted diseases (Planned Parenthood, 2016).
Access to legal and safe abortions has resulted in positive outcomes for women (Planned Parenthood, 2016). In effect, over 90 percent of abortions are performed at an earlier and safer pregnancy stage and mortality rates have dropped drastically (Planned Parenthood (n.d.). Overall, Planned Parenthood and other such programs are effective.
The main strength of legal abortion services is that they give women with a medically safe method to end a pregnancy (Planned Parenthood (n.d.). Women no longer have to risk their lives and/or health with dangerous illegal procedures. Also, these programs support a woman’s …show more content…
For example, The Center for Disease Control’s Abortion Surveillance Report shows 664,435 women had legal abortions in 2013 (CDC, 2013). Yet, the policy fails to include all women due to barriers. The unintended consequences of Roe v. Wade is the Hyde Amendment and stricter state laws. Frequently, poor women have to forgo an abortion due to a lack of funds (Nash et al., 2016). The Hyde amendment impacts over 3.5 million black women, ages 15-44, on Medicaid (Boonstra, 2016). For example, 60 percent of women, of child bearing years, who are on Medicaid, are lacking abortion benefits (Boonstra,
Social Problem
Prior to the Supreme Court judgement in Roe v. Wade, women in the United States put their health in danger by seeking illegal abortions (Vecera, 2014). In the 1950’s and 1960’s, 200,000 to one million U.S. women sought unlawful termination procedures (Gold, 2003). Gold (2003) reports, in 1930 close to 2,700 women lost their lives due to illegal abortions. With the advancement in medical science and the discovery of antibiotics, by 1965 the death rate fell to about 200 deaths (Gold, 2003). Illegal abortions caused minorities to suffer higher rates of injury (Gold, 2003). In 1962, Harlem Hospital in New York City treated 1,600 low-income women for incomplete abortions (Gold, 2003). Also, in 1968, the University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Medical Center, treated over 700 underprivileged women with abortion infections (Gold, 2003). Similarly, the abortion death rate among minority women was disproportionate (Gold, 2003). For example, “in New York City in the early 1960s, one in four childbirth-related deaths among white women was due to abortion; in comparison, abortion accounted for one in two childbirth-related deaths among nonwhite and Puerto Rican women. From 1972 to 1974, the mortality rate due to illegal abortion for non-white women was 12 times that for white women” (Gold, 2003, para. 9 & 10). In general, abortions were illegal in the United States from mid-19th century until January 22, 1973 (Gold, 2003). Then, the feminist social movement and the open-minded sexual viewpoints in the 1960’s shifted the nation’s opinion on abortion (Vecera, 2014). In 1962, the American Law Institute (ALI), published “Model Penal Code on Abortion”, appealing for legal abortions due to incest, rape, birth defects, and health risks. (Gold, 2003). As a result, by 1972, 13 states adopted ALI rulings and four states reversed antiabortion laws (Gold, 2003). In 1970, Jane Doe (acronym) filed a lawsuit stating Texas anti-abortion laws violated a woman’s right to privacy under the fourth, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments (Roe V. Wade, 1973). Unmarried and pregnant, Miss Roe filed the claim in the interest of all women and their reproductive rights (Roe V. Wade, 1973). Policy/Legislation On January 22, 1973, pursuant to the case Roe V. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, the United States Supreme Court under the right to privacy, granted women the right terminate a pregnancy. The verdict would …show more content…
Wade opened the door for doctors to perform abortions in hospitals and outpatient clinics. The best example of such services is Planned Parenthood and their programs. Today, “Planned Parenthood provides sexual and reproductive health care, education, information, and outreach to nearly five million women, men, and adolescents worldwide in a single year (Planned Parenthood, 2016, para 4). In addition to abortions, Planned Parenthood provides over 250,000 Pap smear tests, over 350,000 breast exams, and tests and/or treats over 4 million people in the U.S. for sexually transmitted diseases (Planned Parenthood, 2016).
Access to legal and safe abortions has resulted in positive outcomes for women (Planned Parenthood, 2016). In effect, over 90 percent of abortions are performed at an earlier and safer pregnancy stage and mortality rates have dropped drastically (Planned Parenthood (n.d.). Overall, Planned Parenthood and other such programs are effective.
The main strength of legal abortion services is that they give women with a medically safe method to end a pregnancy (Planned Parenthood (n.d.). Women no longer have to risk their lives and/or health with dangerous illegal procedures. Also, these programs support a woman’s …show more content…
For example, The Center for Disease Control’s Abortion Surveillance Report shows 664,435 women had legal abortions in 2013 (CDC, 2013). Yet, the policy fails to include all women due to barriers. The unintended consequences of Roe v. Wade is the Hyde Amendment and stricter state laws. Frequently, poor women have to forgo an abortion due to a lack of funds (Nash et al., 2016). The Hyde amendment impacts over 3.5 million black women, ages 15-44, on Medicaid (Boonstra, 2016). For example, 60 percent of women, of child bearing years, who are on Medicaid, are lacking abortion benefits (Boonstra,