Roe v. Wade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Roe v. Wade - Essay Example To begin with, the ruling gave women the permission to have safe abortion on three grounds based on the stage of pregnancy. The ruling stated that during the first trimester of pregnancy, the decision to procure abortion remained with the pregnant woman’s doctor. On the other hand, during the second trimester, states would regulate abortion procedures by promoting their interests in the health of the mother, while during the third trimester, states would promote their interests regarding the potentiality of human life, and would thus be able to prohibit abortion, lest the mother’s life is in grave danger. The ruling had massive implication on the rights of women in the United States. As Nation Unies (2001) observes on their article on Abortion Policies, the right-to-life movement which initially was dormant, got an immediate rejuvenation with the ruling. The movement thereafter began a campaign that whose aim was to create as many legal barriers to abortion as possible. On the other hand, the abortion rights movement mounted a massive campaign for safe and legal abortion. Unah (2010) notes that the Roe v Wade ruling did actually empower the American women. In addition, he notes that it helped fuel feminist movements across the country and significantly helped solidify the social standing of women across America. Furthermore, a number of scholars are of the agreement that banning of abortion would be contradicting the Thirteenth Amendment, and that this would subject women to involuntary pregnancies. The ruling also stirred controversies between those who were pro-abortion and those who were against it. Faux (2001) notes that questions arose regarding the actual intention of the ruling, on why fetus at 28 weeks were considered more valuable than at 10 weeks, if the sole intention was to protect potential life. With the issue of viability still raging, feminists have