Supreme Court Decision in Federal Abortion Ban Cases
In a stunning retreat from more than three decades of precedent, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the first-ever federal ban on abortion, which outlaws certain second-trimester abortions and has no exception in cases when a woman's health is in danger. This decision represents a monumental departure from prior cases, and with it the Court effectively eliminated one of Roe v. Wade's core protections: that a woman's health must always be paramount.
The "Child Custody Protection Act" Threatens Young Women's Health
The "Child Custody Protection Act," a dangerous anti-choice measure that threatens young women's health, would prohibit anyone other than a parent from accompanying a young woman across state lines for an abortion if the home state's parental-involvement law has not been met.
The Difference Between Emergency Contraception and Early Abortion Options (RU 486)
The line between contraception and abortion is often blurred, intentionally and unintentionally, in the course of policy discussions on emergency contraception (also known as the "morning-after" pill) and the early-abortion option mifepristone (also known as RU 486). The distinction between the two is important, especially since anti-choice lawmakers are trying to restrict women's access to these and other reproductive-health services. Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy while RU 486 terminates a pregnancy.
The Federal Refusal Clause
On December 19, 2008, the Bush administration published a regulation that may severely hinder or block women's access to birth control and other reproductive-health services. It claims to enforce laws already on the books that allow doctors and other health-care professionals to opt out of providing certain health-care services. NARAL Pro-Choice America does not oppose an individual right of conscience, but this regulation goes much further than providing individuals with a right to refuse to provide services that they oppose; in actuality, it may seriously jeopardize patients' rights to receive quality, comprehensive health-care services. The following provides background on the issue and an analysis of the very serious problems that the regulation may cause.
The Safety of Legal Abortion
In the years since Roe v. Wade was decided, thousands of American women's lives have been saved by access to legal abortion. Nonetheless, Roe and the availability of legal abortion, as well as the progress women have achieved for reproductive freedom, are under constant attack. History demonstrates that restricted access does not eliminate abortion; rather, women are forced to seek control over their reproductive lives in any way possible, often risking serious injury or death.
