Abortion, about to be illegal in the US: what will happen in the country and how will it affect women?

• The Supreme Court could be about to outlaw abortion

The US Supreme Court is about to outlaw abortion.

This was revealed today by the

website , after filtering the draft of a majority opinion from the highest court in the country, signed by conservative judge Samuel Alito (nominated by George W. Bush), which ensures that the Roe v. Wade ruling "

.

That ruling, from 1973, recognized that access to abortion is a woman's constitutional right.

Now, this Supreme Court opinion endorsed by a conservative majority of 5 justices against three, affirms that "the right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the history and traditions of the nation"

What is the Roe vs. Wade ruling?

Jane Roe was the pseudonym of Norma McCorvey, a single mother from Dallas, Texas, who in 1970 decided to sue the city's prosecutor, Henry Wade, because state law did not allow her to have an abortion.

The case eventually reached the United States Supreme Court, which in Roe v. Wade

struck down Texas abortion laws and established that "the right to respect for private life" in the 14th amendment to the Constitution was "broad enough to apply to a woman's decision whether or not to end her pregnancy".

Roe - who could not benefit from this sentence and gave birth to that girl to later give her up for adoption - became a symbol of the fight for women's reproductive rights.

How has the US changed since then?

Abortion has always been the subject of controversy in American society, deeply divided on this issue.

According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 59% of the population believe that abortion should be legal while 39% believe that it should be criminally punished.

Almost 50 years ago, the percentage of those who were against abortion was lower (22%, according to a Gallup poll), which gives an idea of ​​the extent to which abortion continues to be a polarizing issue in American society.

What has evolved since then is the safety of women who want to abort.

According to data from the NGO Planned Parenthood, in 1965 abortion in the US was so unsafe that 17% of pregnancy-related deaths were due to illegal abortion.

Currently,

But can the Supreme Court make abortion illegal across the country?

If this court confirms the leaked opinion - something that could happen next June - the United States would return to the situation prior to 1973, when each of the states was free to prohibit abortion or not.

Thus, several states will continue to make it easier for women who wish to end their pregnancies.

But in about half the country, abortion would be prohibited.

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, up to 24 states could make abortion illegal, including Mississippi, Arizona, Texas or Alabama.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, also focused on reproductive rights, there would be 26 states that would radically limit abortion.

What will happen now to a woman who wanted to abort?

Several states controlled by the Republicans, such as Oklahoma (one of the last), Mississippi or Texas, have been passing anti-abortion laws.

In Idaho, for example, women will not be able to abort after the sixth week of pregnancy.

The standard -inspired by the Texas 'heartbeat law';

from the sixth week the fetal heartbeat can be detected- not only does it prevent abortion but it rewards up to 20,000 dollars -10,000 more than in Texas- to people who report to the clinic or the doctor who is going to help the woman to have an abortion (they could even sue the taxi driver who takes the woman to the clinic).

The "collaborators" could face sentences of several years in prison.

Many women would have to travel to get an abortion in states that do allow it or even outside the United States.

But many other poor women, who cannot afford such a trip, would have to carry their pregnancies to term, perhaps relying on a social assistance network that, particularly in the US, where healthcare is private, is not always guaranteed.

Another percentage of women would resort to illegal abortions or with dangerous methods.

And although it is now relatively easy to gain access to abortion pills on the black market - or, in the case of the US, reaching as far as Mexico, where such pills are sometimes sold without a prescription - the risk to mothers' health increases with the prohibition of abortion.

If it is regulated and part of the health, women do not have the need to take unnecessary risks to end an unwanted pregnancy.

they would have to carry their pregnancies to term, perhaps relying on a social assistance network which, particularly in the US, where healthcare is private, is not always guaranteed.

Another percentage of women would resort to illegal abortions or with dangerous methods.

And although it is now relatively easy to gain access to abortion pills on the black market - or, in the case of the US, reaching as far as Mexico, where such pills are sometimes sold without a prescription - the risk to mothers' health increases with the prohibition of abortion.

If it is regulated and part of the health, women do not have the need to take unnecessary risks to end an unwanted pregnancy.

they would have to carry their pregnancies to term, perhaps relying on a social assistance network which, particularly in the US, where healthcare is private, is not always guaranteed.

Another percentage of women would resort to illegal abortions or with dangerous methods.

And although it is now relatively easy to gain access to abortion pills on the black market - or, in the case of the US, reaching as far as Mexico, where such pills are sometimes sold without a prescription - the risk to mothers' health increases with the prohibition of abortion.

If it is regulated and part of the health, women do not have the need to take unnecessary risks to end an unwanted pregnancy.

Another percentage of women would resort to illegal abortions or with dangerous methods.

And although it is now relatively easy to gain access to abortion pills on the black market - or, in the case of the US, reaching as far as Mexico, where such pills are sometimes sold without a prescription - the risk to mothers' health increases with the prohibition of abortion.

If it is regulated and part of the health, women do not have the need to take unnecessary risks to end an unwanted pregnancy.

Another percentage of women would resort to illegal abortions or with dangerous methods.

And although it is now relatively easy to gain access to abortion pills on the black market - or, in the case of the US, reaching as far as Mexico, where such pills are sometimes sold without a prescription - the risk to mothers' health increases with the prohibition of abortion.

If it is regulated and part of the health, women do not have the need to take unnecessary risks to end an unwanted pregnancy.

What happens in other parts of the world?

Although, in general terms, since the 1970s most countries have been eliminating the abortion ban, in recent years a certain current has been observed in the opposite direction, that of restricting this right as much as possible.

In Europe, the most notable case is that of Poland.

In January 2021, the ruling of the Constitutional Court, of October 2020, which prohibits abortion in cases of serious fetal malformation, came into force. More unknown is the case of Malta, where abortion is illegal: it is the only member state of the EU that completely bans the procedure and in which women can face up to 3 years in prison.

In Latin America, Honduras, Nicaraguas or El Salvador totally prohibit abortion.

In the latter country, women can face sentences of 30 years in prison for having an abortion,

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