Abortion Access Battle Rages On In U.S. Courtrooms One Year After Roe vs. Wade Overturning

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade case by the U.S Supreme Court. The decision ignited renewed clash between advocates for abortion rights and opponents of the procedure. And the battle for abortion access continues in courtrooms across the United States. 

The top court’s ruling prompted Republican-controlled legislatures in states to pass restrictive abortion laws. Now there’s a near-total abortion ban in place in 14 states. Majority bans are being enforced through threat of jail time for providers and criminal penalties. 

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts say the regressive decision by the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled 50 years of precedent protecting the right to abortion in the country. It violates International Human Rights Law.

Discriminating and Discouraging

The experts highlighted that women and girls, from marginalized communities, racial and ethnic minorities, migrants, and women and girls with disabilities, in disadvantaged situations are disproportionately affected by the ban. They warned that the court’s decision impacted doctors and healthcare workers who face legal consequences for their case decisions, like conducting life-saving abortions. 

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The UN experts said the ban and threat of criminalization by State governments discouraged women and young girls from going to the hospitals and clinics and seeking prenatal care. They pointed out that some clinics have either withholding or refraining from providing abortion-related services, irrespective of the legal status in the respective state. 

Various reports say abortion restrictions are not felt equally. Marginalized groups, that already have limited access to abortion and other reproductive health services, face disproportionate burdens and challenges. In states where abortion has been made illegal, women of color witness higher risk of health complications, and pregnancy-related morbidity.

Protecting Access

The experts and abortion access advocates urged the federal and state governments to reverse the ban and implement positive measures to ensure safe and legal access to abortion. Some states have abortion bans but the courts have temporarily blocked it.

It should be noted that state lawmakers across the U.S. introduced 369 bills to protect access to abortion since the ban. And 77 of these bills have been passed across 18 states. The bills uphold security for abortion providers and patients, insurance coverage and improved access to medication abortion.

Furthermore, it protects abortion providers from being prosecuted in states where this service is illegal. But then, Republican lawmakers have also accelerated their efforts to limit the rightful access to abortion. 

The fight for abortion access and rights continues, once again pitching the left and the right against each other.