Abortions Should Not Be Legal - 1216 Words

When abortions were illegal, thousands of women died. Until the mid 1800s, abortions were legal and available in the United States. Both State and church permitted abortion if they occurred before quickening when the mother first perceived fetal movement. In 1847, the newly formed medical association began a campaign to professionalize medicines. Legislation restricting abortions continued to spread, and by the turn of the century, both, birth control pills, and abortions were illegal in most states. If a woman needed a medical attention after the botched abortion, she faced a dangerous situation even though she was infected or bleeding. She was often required to testify against a person who performed abortions before she could†¦show more content†¦The majority of these laws were strictly enforced. For teens with difficult home situations, these laws created an additional burden. More than 80 percent of the counties in the United States had no providers. Those who of fered the service, there was serious threats. Because dedicated doctors and clinic staff were willing to provide safe abortions, some women could still make that choice. In 1991, the Pennsylvania Abortion Act was deemed as unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade, as a result, this law placed unjust obligations on abortion. It required informed consent and a 24 hours waiting period prior to the procedure. Moreover, a minor needed to have the consent of one parent, and a married woman needed consent from her husband. Debating the constitutionality, this law was taken to court. In a 5-to-4 decision, the majority included justices Blackmun, Kennedy, O’Connor, Souter, and Stevens. The majority opinion was by David Souter, with O’Connor and Kennedy. The minority included Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas and White. Chief Justice William filed an opinion concurring in the Court’s judgment in part and dissenting in part, which was joined by justices Byron White, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Justice Scalia also filed an opinion concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part, which was also joined by Rehnquist, white , and Thomas. The court reaffirmed Roe but it upheld most of the Pennsylvania provisions. The