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The anti-choice movement's ultimate goal is to outlaw abortion in all circumstances. While some states still have laws on the books that would ban abortion throughout pregnancy, Roe v. Wade's protections prevent these bans' enforcement. However, state legislatures across the country continue to consider enacting new total bans in order to challenge Roe in the courts. In addition, in the majority of state legislatures and Congress, anti-choice lawmakers have passed unconstitutional laws that would ban safe and medically appropriate abortion as early as the 12th week in pregnancy.
Twelve states considered near-total bans on abortion in 2008.
"Personhood" Measures in the States
In many states, anti-choice groups are advancing so-called "personhood" measures as the vehicle for outlawing abortion. These measures would ban abortion, and could lead to bans on in-vitro fertilization and many types of birth control. Learn more about the dangerous "personhood" measures.
The Federal Abortion Ban
On April 18, 2007, the Supreme Court handed down its decision to uphold the Federal Abortion Ban.
Behind the Ban: Politics and South Dakota's Abortion Ban
For more than a decade, anti-choice lawmakers and activists have pursued a strategy of imposing incremental restrictions on access to reproductive health care. While they often claim that they are simply enacting measures to protect women, it is clear that their true goal is to overturn Roe v. Wade—a goal that remains unpopular with the American public.
For two decades after Roe v. Wade, South Dakota imposed few restrictions on abortion. But beginning in the 1990s, national events—including changes in Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House—galvanized far-right activists in South Dakota and elsewhere. Anti-choice politicians and organizations began using state legislatures as laboratories to experiment with new restrictions on women and doctors, pushing the boundaries of the law and, in many cases, attempting to ban abortion almost entirely. Click here to learn more. | 
