Since the beginning of May, the United States have been discussing the possible cancellation of the decision in the Roe v. Wade case, which guaranteed all American women the right to an abortion. Since then, heated debates arose in public space, with pro-life and pro-choice activists entering into a new loop of the endless argument on abortion rights. If the US Supreme Court overturns the decision in a half-century-old case, then the issue of abortion will be submitted for consideration to regional authorities – lawmakers in different states, report Gerstein and Ward (2022). This could lead to new laws prohibiting abortions in the most radical terms.
Support for or, conversely, denial of the right to abortion is strongly associated with political position. American Democrats most often believe that women should have the right to terminate a pregnancy, while Republicans usually advocate various restrictions, up to a complete ban on this medical procedure. BBC (2022) states that, in case of Roe v. Wade final overturn, more than half of the states will return their bans: some will do it within a week, some immediately. Miller and Sanger-Katz (2022) emphasize several states that are most likely to ensue complete bans, mostly southwestern and central: Texas, Idaho, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and others. All of these states are united by the presence of so-called “trigger” laws, which do not prohibit access to abortion, but significantly complicate access to it.
The ban will primarily affect those who live in the central, Republican states: in order to have an abortion, they will need to go to other states or even abroad. Abortion in this case is associated with unnecessary financial expenses – and it is obvious that not all women who want to turn to this medical procedure will have money in such a situation. Thus, in those states that support an immediate and complete ban on abortion, a quarter of all women will lose the opportunity to have it legally and safely. At the same time, rich women who live in democratic states will hardly be affected by the reversal of the decision of the Supreme Court. If anything, they will retain the opportunity to terminate a pregnancy due to the proximity of specialized centers and the preservation of financial opportunities.
Works Cited
BBC. “What Happens If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned by Supreme Court Ruling.” BBC News, BBC, 2022.
Gerstein, John, and Alexander Ward. “Exclusive: Supreme Court Has Voted to Overturn Abortion Rights, Draft Opinion Shows.” Politico, 2022.
Miller, Claire Cain, and Margot Sanger-Katz. “What an America without Roe Would Look Like.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2021.