Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Thirty-seven years ago, the Supreme Court overturned a Texas interpretation of abortion law, making abortion legal in the United States.  The Roe v. Wade decision placed the decision of reproductive health with a woman and her doctor.  More formally, it holds that a woman, with her doctor, can choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy.

There are only estimates of how many women died from illegal abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, but one death due to a woman not being able to exercise her reproductive choice is one death too many.  There are roughly 140 million women and girls currently living in the U.S. under the age of 40 that do not completely understand the ramifications of not having a voice over one’s own body, because they know no different. It is imperative that they understand the sacrifices of the women that fought, and continue to fight, for this right.