Ch_11

Lecture Notes

The U.S. Supreme Court issued the famous Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Under the Roe decision, a woman's right to abortion is guaranteed as a fundamental right, part of the constitutional right to privacy. At the time, only four states permitted abortion at the woman's discretion.

The Roe decision created a firestorm of opposition among political and religious conservatives and fueled a right-wing political resurgence. But because abortion was determined a fundamental right by the Roe decision, efforts by states to curtail it have failed.

Since the 1973 Supreme Court decision, states have been undergoing rigorous debate about how to best interpret, regulate, limit, and define under what circumstances a woman may obtain an abortion.

Image: http://wholewomanshealth.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/whole-womans-health-happy-birthday-roe-v-wade/