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Ten Supreme Court Decisions that Impacted the Reproduction Rights of Women

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Ten Supreme Court Decisions that Impacted the Reproduction Rights of Women

When talking about Supreme Court decisions that have greatly impacted the lives of women it is very hard to settle on just five of the many cases that have been ruled in favor of the rights of women. When discussing the topic of reproductive freedom and The Supreme Courts rulings on these matters ten cases can and must be discussed in order to provide a total overview and timeline of these historic rulings. The American Civil Liberties Union has helped women breech the barriers of sexual repression, and has crusaded to help women win these reproductive rights and knowledge over the years since its founding in the repressed 1920's. In the decades following …show more content…

Without this right to choose single or married women would be placed in unwanted positions. These positions being a high incidence of pregnancy (without contraceptives and the choice to use them) and the stress and repercussions that would follow without the ability for them to make this a personal choice. Another major case I want to discuss decided by the Supreme Court was in 1971. The United States v Vuitch was the first case about abortion to reach The Supreme Court. In United States v. Vuitch, a doctor challenged the constitutionality of a District of Columbia law permitting abortion only to preserve a womans life or health. The court rejected the claim that the statute was unconstitutionality vague, concluding that "health" should be understood to include considerations of psychological as well as physical well-being. The court also held that the burden of proof should be on the prosecutor who brought charges, not on the doctor. This case is very inportant in that it lead to the Roe v Wade decision in coming years. Eisenstadt v Baird gave the right of unmarried couples to obtain contraceptives. This struck down a Massachusetts law limiting contraceptives to married couples. This case again involves the issue of choice. Why shouldn't we as Americans be given a choice in all matters? Even if it is the issue of birth control or even the larger issue of abortion. I myself do not agree with the notion of abortion, however I do believe with

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