January 22, 1973.<br /><br />The SCOTUS ruling on Roe v. Wade asserts <br />that women can choose to terminate a <br />pregnancy during the first two trimesters as part of <br />their constitutional <br />right to privacy.<br />The controversial ruling essentially <br />reversed a century of anti-abortion <br />legislation in the United States.<br />It was the result of a call by many American women for control over their own reproductive processes.<br />The legalization of abortion became a divisive issue, <br />with pro-choice and pro-life organizations strengthening <br />their memberships and political influence.<br />On three separate occasions in the <br />1980s and 90s, the Supreme Court <br />narrowly reaffirmed the decision.<br />With the current majority of conservative <br />justices on the Court, there are fears that <br />the historic legislation is vulnerable to reversal.
