The landmark ruling Roe v Wade has been struck down by the US Supreme Court, overturning a 50-year ruling will see millions of women across the USA losing their right to safe and legal abortion.
The court voted to overturn the Roe v Wade decision just a few weeks after a leaked court document implied that it was likely to do so.
What the Roe v Wade overturn means
This judgement now means that individual US states can ban abortion outright, with at least half of the states expected to introduce restrictions or bans limiting the possibility to terminate a pregnancy.
Already, thirteen states have passed ‘trigger laws’ that mean that abortion is automatically made illegal after the Supreme Court’s decision, such as South Dakota, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
‘Permanent Damage’
Many have noted that this ruling will not stop abortions in the US – but will undoubtedly drastically increase the number of unsafe abortions that could result in death or permanent damage.
Abortion access is likely to be removed for around 36 million women in the USA, according to data from Planned Parenthood.
The state of Missouri became the first in the country to ban abortion, signing it into law moments after the Supreme Court ruling. In Missouri, abortion is entirely illegal – even in cases of rape or incest.
Former President Barack Obama has condemned the ruling, stating on Twitter that the ruling ‘attack[s] the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.’