Every year on January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade invites reflection on a Supreme Court decision that shaped U.S. abortion law for nearly 50 years and continues to influence public policy today.
A decision that reshaped the law
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On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Roe v. Wade, concluding that the Constitution protects a person’s right to choose to have an abortion. The Court based its decision on the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, interpreting it to include a right to privacy in personal medical decisions.
At the time, many states had laws that severely restricted or banned abortion. The ruling struck down those laws and established a national standard, making abortion access a federally protected right.
How it worked in practice
Rather than setting a single rule for all stages of pregnancy, the Court created a framework that balanced state interests with individual rights. Early in pregnancy, states were limited in how much they could regulate abortion. As pregnancy progressed, states were allowed greater regulatory authority. After fetal viability, abortion could be restricted, with exceptions to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.
This structure guided abortion policy nationwide for decades and served as the foundation for later court decisions.
The shift in 2022
That legal framework changed in June 2022, when the Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In that ruling, the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, concluding that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion and that decisions about abortion regulation should be made by individual states.
The decision followed months of public attention after a draft opinion was leaked, and it led to immediate changes in abortion laws across the country.
Life after
Since the Dobbs decision, abortion access has varied widely by state. Some states enforce strict limits or bans, while others have passed laws to protect access. For many people, access to care now depends largely on where they live.
At the same time, healthcare delivery has adapted. Telehealth services for medication abortion have expanded, becoming a more common option, particularly for patients navigating restrictive state laws.
Why it still matters
Although Roe v. Wade is no longer the law of the land, its influence remains. The decision shaped decades of legal precedent, political debate, and healthcare policy. Its anniversary now serves as a marker of how constitutional interpretation can evolve—and how those shifts can have lasting, practical effects on everyday life, influencing healthcare access, civic engagement, and public policy debates across the country.