History of U.S. Abortion Policy

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues of modern times. Civilized societies rate the loss of human life as serious; unfortunately science has been unable to pinpoint definitively when life begins. Opponents of legalized abortion believe that human life begins at conception and that abortion is the intentional killing of a human being. These opponents, known as "pro-life" or "right to life" advocates, lobby in favor of the rights of the unborn. Opposing this position is the "pro-choice" stance which stresses the woman's right to choose to continue or terminate a pregnancy. Pro-choice supporters also argue that legal abortion is safer than illegal abortion and relieves the psychological and social problems associated with bearing an unwanted child. Because the pro-life and pro-choice positions in America are sharply divided along political lines (ultraconservatives being pro-life and ultraliberals being pro-choice), a resolution to the abortion controversy is unlikely in the foreseeable future.

By definition, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. An abortion may be spontaneous or induced. Although induced abortion has been practiced in every culture since ancient times, it is an act that carries with it both ethical and legal ramifications. In legal terms, abortion is described as an intentionally induced miscarriage. The procedure may be accomplished by the use of surgical intervention, external force

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intense debate between younger and older women about whether to include reproductive choice as an issue in their Women's Bill of Rights. The younger women prevailed and NOW took an official stance in favor of abortion, which represented an important turning point in the movement. By 1970, the movement to legalize abortion had grown substantially in strength. Included in its ranks were feminists, lawyers, health care workers, and clergy. The population control movement also lent support to legalize abortion. As expected, the Catholic church took a strong position against legalization. In 1970, Hawaii became the first state in the country to repeal its criminal abortion law. Hawaii was soon followed by Alaska, New York, and the state of Washington. Then in 1973, with its consideration of Roe v. Wade, came the opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to make a decisive statement about abortion rights. Jane Roe was a single woman living in Dallas County, Texas. She alleged that she was unmarried and pregnant, and wished to terminate her pregnancy with an abortion. However, she was unable to obtain a legal abortion in Texas because she did not meet the requirement of Texas statute that continuation of her pregnancy represente

Category: History - H