Anthony Pointer Jr
City College of New York
ENGL 21002: Writing For Social Sciences
C.Rodwell
April 28th, 2025
“According to the American Civil Liberties Union (2022) The ability to decide whether and when to have children is essential to allowing people to control their own lives and futures.”. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2022) explains the ability of choice for abortion services in the United states. Controlling the lives and future of the female but they are not given the decision to make the choice to keep the child. With the 18th century, abortion was still a practical medical tool, with societies influence shifting most medical professions advocating for the restriction of abortion to protect maternal health.
Then in the Early 19th century, it was largely permitted as a common law to allow abortion but many speculated the safety of these practices which led to most laws to prohibit/criminalize these practices. In 2022, Dobbs decision to overturn Roe vs Wade created a network of laws to give more states a lot of more strength in limiting or even banning abortion. This ruling ignited political and social debate, disproportionately affecting low income women and women of color facing significant obstacles of access to reproductive care . This paper explores the historical context of abortion services, impacts of the Dobbs decision, Yet as well as addressing its hardships for marginalized communities and healthcare professions.
The case of 2022 Dobbs vs Jackson Women Health Organization originated in Mississippi and involved the Gestational Age, which banned most of abortion after 15 weeks. However, due to rare exception such as rape, incest non-consental . It counteracted Roe vs Wade protecting access up to 24 weeks. With these cases, As of 2025 having over a dozen states enacting full abortion bans and triggering laws that most states in the U.S took to which prohibit the abortion services. Criminalizing doctors, patients or people in which help assist them from getting abortion services. With nearly over 50 states eliminating abortion access. Having a gestational limit that women have the ability of anything relating to birth and conceiving within the womb.
Dobbs vs Jackson Women Health Organization decision vetoing the right of abortion that enacted a state ban to abortion affecting the majority of marginalized groups. The ruling overturns Roe vs Wade case and Planned Parental vs Casey eliminating abortion rights. That grants individual states the authority to regulate abortion access affecting women’s healthcare directly impacting the right of privacy. Focused on impacting disproportionate low-income women and women of color ability of reproductive rights. Which deepens the main question of how recent events have impacted abortion service in the United States?.
To understand how recent events have changed abortion services, it’s pivotal to exploring the historical context of the Roe vs Wade case, leading to the later Planned Parenteral v Casey. In the 1973, Supreme Court decision of Roe vs Wade case legalizing abortion nationwide. With the women’s right of choosing to have an abortion under her constitutional right of the 14th amendment which states the right of privacy. The ruling of the court had eliminated state laws that banned or restricted abortion laws and lasted for 5 decades of legal and political conflict surrounding the issue.
This case was brought to attention by Jane Roe, who challenged Texas legislative law that made it a crime to procure or execute an abortion unless a woman’s life was at risk. The Courts had introduced trimesters. The First trimester involved the state could not regulate abortion. Second trimester being the state could impose regulations reasonably related to maternal health. Third trimester is only if the mother’s life or health is at risk to perform this surgery.
A decade later, the supreme court revisited abortion rights that allowed for restrictions at a state level. The Planned Parenthood vs Casey decision upholding the Roe decision on the right for women to have a choice in abortion. However, it rejected the trimester framework and replaced it with the undue burden. That meant enacting laws in place such as parental consent requirement, waiting period and informed consent as well as there being no obstacles or barriers for women not being able to receive these contraceptives. And even provide mother counseling for women seeking abortion. “According to Planned Parenthood (2023) Over 80% of Americans believe abortion care should be legal, regardless of their personal views on the issue. That includes 58% of conservatives.”. (Planned Parenthood, 2023). Majority of Americans have strong belief abortion services should be legal. With many having personal views of abortion being morally right or wrong but many support it. With more than half of conservatives supporting abortion to be legalized being essential due to them being anti abortion.
The Roe vs Wade case stood as a foundation for abortion rights in 1973 but the 2022 case, Dobbs decision, erupts that framework changing its governmental legal work. The Supreme Court of 2022 ruling in Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health organization points to a shift in abortion rights. With the Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade removing lawmaking if abortion service being viable for women in America and regulating each country to their own. Making this a trigger in many states in America to restrict and ban abortion access. “Thirteen states have already enacted “trigger laws” that are designed to ban all or nearly all abortions once Roe is overturned, and those will now go into effect—some immediately and others in the coming hours and days.”.(Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, undoing the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 by Abrams, A., & Carlisle, M). These trigger laws were designed by the supreme court passed in certain states in the U.S that prohibit abortion in these thirteen states. Immediately going to effect right after the Dobb vs Jackson women’s Health organization overturns Roe vs Wade enforcing an automatic ban in abortion access.
As of 2025, Thirteen states have made abortion illegal in the United States including Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. States like California, New York, and Illinois have more impermissive abortion laws. Largely affected marginalized women as low-income women from travel as they don’t have the expense to make a trip to get abortion service they would need. Women of color are not the expectation with them more likely to work in minimum paid jobs without benefits like paid leave or health insurance. Both groups are affected by not living in many medical centers to be able to get affordable care for themselves or families.
With the Dobbs case, its immediate effect state law triggers a decrease in the number of abortion clinics. With many closed doors in response in the legal environment, such as with Texas the Senate Bill 8 which bans abortion for six weeks leading to closing doors in many clinics. Meaning this ban for the six weeks if wanting an abortion having to travel out-state despite the financial struggles.
With women of low-income and color it was near to impossible to get as the financial burden enduring to get these abortion services. For example, women who live in the rural part of Texas having to travel great distances to receive the support need to abort, especially with the lack of resources near it a death sentence for them. “Abortion and rape: Answering the arguments for abortion rights (by Beckwith) It is also said that a pregnancy caused by rape or incest is the result of a grave injustice and that the victim should not be obliged to carry the fetus to viability. This would keep reminding her for nine months of the violence committed against her and would just increase her mental anguish.”. (Abortion and rape: Answering the arguments for abortion rights by Beckwith). With certain crimes inflicted on women, forcing survivors to carry on a child in the term of rape or even incest, give psychological harm that would cause depression or even PTSD. Also with the level of severity, it could become hard to treat .
The Dobbs decision had made a revolutionary change that provided potential risk to medical professionals who provide care in restrictive states. Its legal risks have many doctors and healthcare concerned about the potential repercussions that follow for providing abortion services. The fear of a lawsuit that could cause them to lose their jobs and families resulting in losing their livelihood and becoming homeless because of the state’s laws. These implications have made recent events for access to abortion seem to be eliminated with the Dobbs case with no real changes. Federal laws against abortion have some states trying to protect abortion access, while others enacted the ban creating a wall for women of low income and women of color.
In conclusion, the legal and political struggles surrounding abortion rights are fraught with uncertainty. As the United state progress, The role of the Supreme court, federal government, and healthcare provider is critical to determining to the accessibility of abortion services whether in cases of rape or even incest. The future of reproductive rights hinges on the advocacy for legal protection and healthcare access in all states. Instead of letting political debates and government official rights shaping the nation’s approach to abortion in coming years. It calls for societal speak-up for an awareness of the changes, not protecting everyone’s human rights.
Commentary
I’ve gained a deeper knowledge of the legal implications of the Dobbs vs Jackson case not only revolutionizing the impacts of healthcare given to women, but also it affects marginalized groups in the United states.
References
Abrams, A., & Carlisle, M. (2022, June 24). The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, undoing the constitutional right to abortion. TIME. https://time.com/6189476/abortion-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade/
American Civil Liberties Union. (2022, January 21). Abortion is essential: Stories of liberation. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/abortion-is-essential-stories-of-liberation
Beckwith, F. J. (n.d.). Abortion and rape: Answering the arguments for abortion rights. Christian Research Institute. Retrieved April 29, 2025, from https://www.equip.org/articles/abortion-and-rape-answering-the-arguments-for-abortion-rights/
Guttmacher Institute. (n.d.). Guttmacher Institute | Center facts. Shape policy. Advance sexual and reproductive rights. Retrieved April 27, 2025, from https://www.guttmacher.orgGuttmacher Institute
Planned Parenthood Action. (2023, May 19). https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/reminder-theres-widespread-support-for-abortion-access
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