Abortion

Before delving deeper into the history or current debates over an issue like abortion, it is important to look simply at the fact of its existence in the United States. According to studies released in 2005 by the Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH) and The Guttmacher Institute, there were 1.29 million abortions performed in this country. Research by the same group shows that in 1994, approximately half of all pregnancies in the United States were unintended, with only about half of those actually ending in abortion. In comparison to other countries, the U.S. accounted for three percent of worldwide abortions in 1995 (PRCH and Guttmacher). With that said, the political history of abortion has been a turbulent one, and the position that the Supreme Court in particular takes on abortion, obviously greatly influences the issue. One could expect the Supreme Court to take a more liberal and “pro-choice” stance on the topic because since Roe v. Wade in 1973, court cases have been progressing towards a more definite right to choose. This can be seen in the cases that followed; Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health (1983), Webster v. Reproduction Health Services (1989), and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). Because the Supreme Court sets precedents about such important issues, their past decisions play a major role in deciding the right choice on the issue. However, the decisions of the Supreme Court depend very heavily on the judges who currently hold positions as Supreme Court Justices. A more liberal Supreme Court would strongly support the woman’s right to choose what she does with her body; whereas a Supreme Court with more conservative justices would be more inclined to oppose making decisions that would strengthen the precedent set in Roe v. Wade. Thus, the Presidential appointment of Justices, leaves abortion as a hot topic for political candidates. A recent legal decision that affects the legality of abortion is the