2008 Woodie Awards
Abortion laws in danger of termination
Melissa Kenyon
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: Sex
- Page 1 of 4 next >
Birth control, the morning-after pill and abortion are measures more and more college-aged women are embracing, according to census data. The increase comes at a time when unintended pregnancy rates in this age group are higher than in any other.
But in the future, contraception and family planning methods may not be easily obtained by a trip to the local CVS or Planned Parenthood- and that future may not be too far away.
Last week, for the third time in four years, South Dakota legislators attempted to pass a bill that would ban abortion statewide. The measure is part of a movement by several states to directly challenge the landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade. Many other states are considering following suit.
Under Roe v. Wade, which was decided by the Supreme Court in 1973, abortions were made legal for any reason a woman and her doctor saw fit, up until the "point at which the fetus becomes 'viable,'" or able to live outside the mother's womb. This timeline varies according to different people's opinions.
The decision, which overturned all previous federal and state laws that criminalized abortion, drew on the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, stating most legislation outlawing abortion violated a constitutional right to privacy.
Roe v. Wade is one of the most controversial Supreme Court cases in United States history, and recently many states, like South Dakota, have become increasingly vocal about their intent to overturn it.
But while none of the states seeking to reverse Roe have succeeded in advancing their argument to the Supreme Court, many state governments have passed laws that regulate abortion practices.
Massachusetts has laws on the books that include parental consent for minors and prohibition of third-trimester abortions, among others.
Currently, one of the states and the nation's most controversial abortion laws is post-viability - in part because of its ties with emergency contraception.
But in the future, contraception and family planning methods may not be easily obtained by a trip to the local CVS or Planned Parenthood- and that future may not be too far away.
Last week, for the third time in four years, South Dakota legislators attempted to pass a bill that would ban abortion statewide. The measure is part of a movement by several states to directly challenge the landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade. Many other states are considering following suit.
Under Roe v. Wade, which was decided by the Supreme Court in 1973, abortions were made legal for any reason a woman and her doctor saw fit, up until the "point at which the fetus becomes 'viable,'" or able to live outside the mother's womb. This timeline varies according to different people's opinions.
The decision, which overturned all previous federal and state laws that criminalized abortion, drew on the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, stating most legislation outlawing abortion violated a constitutional right to privacy.
Roe v. Wade is one of the most controversial Supreme Court cases in United States history, and recently many states, like South Dakota, have become increasingly vocal about their intent to overturn it.
But while none of the states seeking to reverse Roe have succeeded in advancing their argument to the Supreme Court, many state governments have passed laws that regulate abortion practices.
Massachusetts has laws on the books that include parental consent for minors and prohibition of third-trimester abortions, among others.
Currently, one of the states and the nation's most controversial abortion laws is post-viability - in part because of its ties with emergency contraception.
Be the first to comment on this story