In the landmark “Roe versus Wade” decision of January 22, 1973, the US Supreme Court ruled that state laws prohibiting abortion violate the US Constitution. Since then, abortions have been possible with almost no restrictions in most states.
According to Roe vs. Wade, a woman may terminate the pregnancy up to the point of viability of the fetus, which was then estimated at 28 weeks gestation, now around 24 weeks. After the third month of pregnancy, the state may regulate the abortion procedure, but only to the extent necessary to protect the woman’s health. “Roe vs. Wade” is one of the most socially controversial decisions in the history of the Supreme Court, which at the time was dominated by a liberal majority of judges led by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger.
