birth control and roe vs wade

What were abortions and how many were there per year?

Main means of preventing birth as birth control was limited, a million illegal abortions a year before 1973

What was alternatives to birth control?

Diaphragm, first made available in 1917 in a clinic in NY ran by Margaret Sanger

What was the issue with this?

She was arrested for obscenity and there was limited acceptance of birth control advice

What didn’t happen until 1936?

Import of birth-control devices made legal. Most doctors saw abstinence as the only sure means of preventing unwanted children

What were men unwilling to do?

Use condoms

What was hard for poorer women?

Diagraphms were difficult and unhygienic to use without running water

What was the issue with the birth control pill?

Not available until the late 1950s and not until 1973 was abortion legalised

What did Roe vs Wade state? (1973)

States couldn’t prohibit abortions during the first trimester of a pregnancy

What was the decision seen as?

Supporting the rights of women over their own bodies and over attitudes which denied them freedom

What did it seem to show?

That American opinions had moved towards greater recognition of women’s personal freedom

What did it do regarding women’s rights to choose?

Put their right to choose whether to have children before other social responsibilities

What did the backlash of opposition show?

That women’s position in society was still highly contentious

What was Planned Parenthood v Casey? (1992)

States can now implement regulations intended to persuade women not to have abortions, such as mandatory waiting periods, informed consent, and parental consent for minors, provided they are not an undue burden