Vol. 15 No. 1 (2022): Winter of Variants
Opinions

Abortion Rights in the USA : After Roe vs Wade Ruling is overturned by the US Supreme Court

Subarna Chakravorty MBBS PhD FRCPath MRCPCH FRCP
Kings College Hospital, London, UK
Bio

Published 2022-07-02

Keywords

  • abortion rights,
  • women's rights,
  • US Supreme court,
  • Roe vs Wade

How to Cite

Chakravorty, S. (2022). Abortion Rights in the USA : After Roe vs Wade Ruling is overturned by the US Supreme Court. Sushruta Journal of Health Policy & Opinion, 15(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.38192/15.1.9

Abstract

The US Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe vs Wade ruling in July 2022. A highly controversial decision with wide ranging impact on the rights and health of women both in the USA and across the world.

 

There is no doubt that this judicial ruling will disproportionately affect those who are poor, with little access to healthcare; disabled, minors and those with physical or mental disabilities.[1] Rural women of colour from the Southern States are likely to be the worst affected.[2] This has far wider implications than only affecting the poor and marginalised.

Removing legal protection for abortions cannot be considered an isolated event. It sits squarely within the realm of human rights of the woman, her right to bodily autonomy, right to dignity and economic prosperity. In countries where women are safeguarded in their reproductive rights, civil society should be vigilant about ensuring these rights are equitable. The access to safe and affordable abortion is every human’s right. It is up to us to safeguard it with everything we have.

References

  1. Hamilton BE, Ventura SJ. Fertility and abortion rates in the United States, 1960-2002. Int J Androl 2006;29:34–45. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00638.x
  2. Sutton A, Lichter DT, Sassler S. Rural-Urban Disparities in Pregnancy Intentions, Births, and Abortions Among US Adolescent and Young Women, 1995-2017. Am J Public Health 2019;109:1762–9. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305318
  3. Roe v. Wade | Summary, Origins, & Influence | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Roe-v-Wade (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  4. Fourteenth Amendment | Definition, Summary, Rights, Significance, & Facts | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fourteenth-Amendment (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  5. The Pillars of Modern American Conservatism. Intercollegiate Studies Institute. 2014.https://isi.org/intercollegiate-review/the-pillars-of-modern-american-conservatism/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  6. (17) The history of contraception: From ancient egyptians to the ‘morning after’ | Request PDF. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293071233_The_history_of_contraception_From_ancient_egyptians_to_the_morning_after (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  7. Rodgers Y van der M, Coast E, Lattof SR, et al. The macroeconomics of abortion: A scoping review and analysis of the costs and outcomes. PLOS ONE 2021;16:e0250692. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0250692
  8. Smyth L. Feminism and abortion politics: Choice, rights, and reproductive freedom. Women’s Studies International Forum 2002;25:335–45. doi:10.1016/S0277-5395(02)00256-X
  9. Witherspoon A, Chang A. Tracking where abortion laws stand in every state. the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2022/jun/28/tracking-where-abortion-laws-stand-in-every-state (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  10. Boston 677 Huntington Avenue, Ma 02115 +1495‑1000. The negative health implications of restricting abortion access. News. 2021.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/abortion-restrictions-health-implications/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  11. Haddad LB, Nour NM. Unsafe Abortion: Unnecessary Maternal Mortality. Rev Obstet Gynecol 2009;2:122–6.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2709326/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  12. Stevenson AJ. The Pregnancy-Related Mortality Impact of a Total Abortion Ban in the United States: A Research Note on Increased Deaths Due to Remaining Pregnant. Demography 2021;58:2019–28. doi:10.1215/00703370-9585908
  13. Durkee A. Overturning Roe V. Wade: Here’s How Abortion Bans Will Hurt State Economies And The GDP. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/06/25/overturning-roe-v-wade-heres-how-abortion-bans-will-hurt-state-economies-and-the-gdp/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  14. Finch J. Law: protection of the unborn child. Nurs Mirror 1983;156:33.
  15. Rights of the Woman and the Child in Abortion Law | EFC. 2018.http://www.efc.org.uk/rights-of-the-woman-and-the-child-in-abortion-law/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  16. Sayeed SA. Baby doe redux? The Department of Health and Human Services and the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002: a cautionary note on normative neonatal practice. Pediatrics 2005;116:e576-585. doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1590
  17. Kortsmit K. Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2019. MMWR Surveill Summ 2021;70. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss7009a1
  18. Abortion Law: Global Comparisons. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/article/abortion-law-global-comparisons (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  19. Abortion. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  20. Inc G. Abortion. Gallup.com. 2007.https://news.gallup.com/poll/1576/Abortion.aspx (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  21. Barack and Michelle Obama Call Supreme Court Ruling ‘Devastating’. WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/supreme-court-decision-roe-v-wade-6-24-2022/card/barack-and-michelle-obama-call-supreme-court-ruling-devastating--u19svDGOecqBmA96Gv9Z (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  22. Statement by President Joe Biden. The White House. 2022.https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/03/statement-by-president-joe-biden-4/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  23. US Supreme Court decision to revoke abortion rights condemned by leading global healthcare organisations. US Supreme Court decision to revoke abortion rights condemned by leading global healthcare organisations. https://www.rcog.org.uk/news/us-supreme-court-decision-to-revoke-abortion-rights-condemned-by-leading-global-healthcare-organisations/ (accessed 2 Jul 2022).
  24. Venugopal V, Singh B. Roe vs Wade ruling: Will embolden regressive ideas in India, say activists. The Economic Times. 2022.https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/roe-vs-wade-ruling-will-embolden-regressive-ideas-in-india-say-activists/articleshow/92464607.cms (accessed 2 Jul 2022).