In 1973, the Supreme Court heard the landmark case of Roe v. Wade and made a historic decision to legalize abortion in America. Today, on the 42nd anniversary of that landmark ruling, we want to know where you stand on the issue of abortion.
A lot has changed since 1973. The national abortion rate has fallen to its lowest levels since the landmark ruling. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only 16.3 per 1,000 women and girls have terminated pregnancies in the last year, compared to 29.3 in 1981.
Since abortions became legalized, New York, Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware and New Jersey have garnered the highest abortion rates in the country. Still, there are 22 states where anti-abortion legislation has been passed to restrict access to the procedure. In fact, more than half of all women of reproductive age live in a state where their access to a legal abortion has been restricted or eliminated all together.
Even though abortions became legal with the Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court case didn’t eliminate the debate about the morality of abortions. Activist groups have cropped up on either side of the issue to try to sway opinions to pro-choice or pro-life. A recent Gallup poll shows that Americans are virtually split on their position on abortion with 47 percent leaning pro-choice, and 46 percent pro-life.
Where do you stand: pro-life or pro-choice?
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