Immediately following the Civil War, strong advocated for women's rights demanded equal opportunities for women through voting, employment and many other social, political, and economic spectrums. Reproductive healthcare rights was a major influence of the Women's Rights Movement, with components of it dating way back to 1869.
In 1869, the Catholic Church banned abortion at any stage of pregnancy, while in 1873, Congress passed the Comstock law, which made the distribution of contraceptions and abortion-inducing drugs through the United States illegal. By the 1880s, abortion was outlawed across most of the country. Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States located in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Sanger was later forced to close the clinic due to Comstock law, multiple raiding's and legal threats. However, in 1921 she went on to found the American Birth Control League - the parent to today's Planned Parenthood.
Abortion was another hurdle in the fight for women's rights. In the 1960s, during the Woman's Rights Movement, court cases involving contraceptives and abortion laid groundwork for Roe v. Wade.
Roe v. Wade was a landmark legal decision issued on January 22, 1973, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion, effectively legalizing the procedure across the United States. Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion had been illegal throughout much of the country since the late 19th century. Since the 1973 ruling, many states imposed restrictions on abortion rights. The most recent decision regarding Roe v. Wade being the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, holding that there was no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion.
Pro-choice: "the right to have legal access to inducted abortion services, including elective abortion, without fear of legal or social backlash".
Pro-life: "opposing abortion". In simple terms, "Anti Abortion".
A Discussion of Both Sides: Pro-Choice and Pro-Life.
In the video above you can view a more in depth explanation of pro-life v pro-choice.
By definition, pro-choice is advocating for legalized abortion. Pro-choice also includes the belief that it is okay for others to make choices regarding reproductive rights for themselves. For example, you could be anti-abortion for yourself, yet understand the importance of reproductive rights and choice for others. People who are pro-choice believe that abortion should be kept legal and people have the right to bebable to access abortion. Many people who are pro-choice also support access to birth control, sex education, care at Planned Parenthood health centers, and other forms of sexual reproductive healthcare.
By definition, pro-life is the opposing of abortion. Many pro-life supporters believe in the carrying of a full term pregnancy, no exceptions. They are often less concerned about the life of the woman carrying the unintended pregnancy, or the welfare of the child after they are born. Pro-life supporters are often referred to as anti-abortion. Anti-abortion supporters tend to disagree with most medical authorities about the definition of pregnancy, hold the belief that people should not be allowed to use birth control, and support overturning the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.
On June 24, 2022, after 49 years, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. This leaves the legal decision of abortion in the hands of the states. 14 states have already put a ban on abortion, with Georgia putting a six week ban in place. Currently, states like Michigan are voting on abortion rights with proposals, like Proposal 3.
Below is a map showing which states have already outlawed abortion.
