13 Charts that explain how
Roe vs. Wade
changed Abortion Rights
This article talks about the Roe vs. Wade debate concerning abortion rights, and how the debate has changed abortion rights for women. It discusses how before the Roe decision, many states didn’t allow legal abortion, outlawing abortions in almost every situation that didn’t threaten the life or health of the mother. After the Roe decision though, abortion rates increased significantly before declining over the past 30 years. The article also mentions how abortion providers have been steadily declining. A large part of this is due to state-level abortion restrictions, since the decrease in providers correlates with a decrease in the rate of abortions. Many abortion restrictions were passed in 2011, followed by more in 2012 and 2013, with a total of 205 restrictions over the course of those three years. The boom in restrictions following 2010 could be because of Republicans taking control of state legislatures and restricting the insurance coverage of abortion. Another factor is that every state besides Oregon has at least one abortion restriction in place, including restrictions that target young people, as well as banning abortions after 20 weeks. The Roe vs. Wade debate had a huge impact on abortion rights, and changed the public’s view on abortion.
My thesis states that part of the American Experience is having rights without the freedom to use them. This article demonstrates that women once had no rights to abortion, but after the Roe vs. Wade debate, women were given the right to an abortion. Now, women are losing their rights to abortion again, with states adding more restrictions and abortion laws, as well as fewer hospitals and nonhospital organizations offering abortions. Women don’t have the freedom to get an abortion anymore, which is going against their rights. They were given the right to abortion, and now that right is being limited. The limitation of women’s rights to abortion shows that women have rights to abortion, but their freedom to have an abortion is being restricted, which means they don’t have the freedom to use these rights to their full extent.
My thesis states that part of the American Experience is having rights without the freedom to use them. This article demonstrates that women once had no rights to abortion, but after the Roe vs. Wade debate, women were given the right to an abortion. Now, women are losing their rights to abortion again, with states adding more restrictions and abortion laws, as well as fewer hospitals and nonhospital organizations offering abortions. Women don’t have the freedom to get an abortion anymore, which is going against their rights. They were given the right to abortion, and now that right is being limited. The limitation of women’s rights to abortion shows that women have rights to abortion, but their freedom to have an abortion is being restricted, which means they don’t have the freedom to use these rights to their full extent.