Around this time last year, individuals sobbed aloud in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, after Roe v. Wade was reversed.
Some people were ecstatic that their decades-long battle to abolish the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States had succeeded.
Personal Struggles in the Wake of Roe v Wade
Others were inconsolable, trying to understand the court’s ruling, and afraid of what lay ahead.
Anya Cook, a resident of Florida who lives more than a thousand miles from the US capital, was unable to foresee how the court’s ruling might affect her.
But a few months later, after her water had prematurely broken during a much-desired pregnancy, she found herself in an impossible situation.
Despite the fact that her pregnancy was no longer viable, she claims she was informed she could not end it because of the state’s ban on abortion.
Instead, she claims she was sent home, whereupon she miscarried in a hair salon restroom and had emergency surgery to save her life.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned almost a year ago, millions of Americans have been unable to get an abortion or have it severely restricted.
Returning authority to the states to enforce restrictions is seen as a step forward by those who are adamantly opposed to abortion.
The topic is very polarizing, highly combustible politically, and is likely to play a significant role in the upcoming presidential election.
But it’s quite personal for the large number of people who have been personally impacted by the legislative changes.
And Anya is one of many more women who claim that their lives are in danger.
Roe v. Wade, which had supported the right to an abortion nationwide up until about 24 weeks of pregnancy for nearly 50 years, was reversed by the Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Dobbs returned authority to the states, 13 of which had “trigger legislation” in place that would restrict abortion as soon as the decision was made.
Abortion restrictions are disproportionately concentrated in the south, plains, and midwest, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a US-based research and policy organization devoted to sexual and reproductive health rights.
It has been tracking abortion policies across the US ever since Roe was overturned.
The panel then divided each state into one of seven categories, ranging from the most protective to the most restrictive, based on the combination of regulations and their overall impact.
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A Patchwork of Legislation Across the United States
Abortions are prohibited in some places, including Mississippi, at any stage of pregnancy unless they are deemed essential to save the woman’s life or if the pregnancy is the result of rape.
No rape or incest exceptions are permitted in Alabama. Although the lady who requested the treatment would not be charged, anyone found guilty of executing an abortion there illegally might spend up to 99 years in jail.
Helping minor cross state boundaries to obtain an abortion without parental permission is now prohibited in Idaho.
Several states have taken the opposite tack, with California among those doing so by enacting new laws that make it simpler to have an abortion.
And some, like Kansas, elected to retain abortion rights protected at the state level after putting the question to the people in the wake of the Dobbs ruling.
Politicians have mainly divided states based on their stances on abortion, with Republican-led states more likely to pursue limits and Democratic-led ones more likely to increase access.
In the end, the anti-abortion group Students for Life Action wants to see a federal prohibition that applies to the entire nation.
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