Dispelling the Myths About Roe v. Wade

Details: 21 December 2012

The following material comes from "Roe Reality Check" produced by the U.S. Bishops’ Pro Life Secretariat. It is available online at www.secondlookproject.org.

MYTH: If Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion will automatically be illegal in the U.S.

FACT: If Roe is overturned, abortion policy will be decided through the democratic process in each state. Before Roe v. Wade, all states permitted abortion if necessary to save the mother’s life, and some permitted abortion in additional circumstances. But Roe deemed "every [abortion] law - even the most liberal - as unconstitutional." As a result, no state can prohibit any abortion at any time during pregnancy.

If Roe is overturned, policy decisions about abortion will be made by the citizens of each state through the democratic process, rather than by courts. Some states will place limits on abortion, in others there will likely be few limits. Not until Roe v. Wade is reversed will the people be able to govern themselves again on the important public policy issue of abortion.

MYTH: Most abortions are done before fetal organs are functioning.

FACT: Actually, the vast majority are done after the fetal heart has begun beating. A fetal heart begins to beat at about 21 or 22 days after fertilization. That’s at about 3 weeks of development. 77% of abortions in the United States are done well after this point.

MYTH: Most abortions are done because of maternal or fetal health problems, or in cases of rape or incest.

FACT: Abortions are rarely done for these reasons. According to an Alan Guttmacher Institute survey, women cite these as the main reason for an abortion in a very small percentage of cases each year: 1% "rape or incest"; 3% "woman has health problem" (physical or mental); 3% "fetus has possible health problem";

For all other abortions, the main reason cited is: 21% "unready for responsibility"; 21% "can’t afford baby now"; 16% "concerned about how having a baby could change her life"; 12% "has problems with relationship or wants to avoid single parenthood"; 11% "is not mature enough, or is too young to have a child"; 8% "has all the children she wanted, or has all grown-up children"; 1% "husband or partner wants woman to have abortion"; 1% "doesn’t want others to know she has had sex or is pregnant"; <0.5% "woman’s parents want her to have abortion"; 3% "other." Under Roe v. Wade, abortions for these reasons or any other reason must be legally permitted.

MYTH: U.S. abortion law has not encouraged the use of abortion as a method of birth control.

FACT: Nearly half (48%) of women having an abortion in the United States have had at least one previous abortion. In some states the rate of repeat abortions is much higher. In Maryland, for example, 71.4% of those having an abortion have already had at least one. And 16.4% have had at least three prior abortions.

Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe in 1992 in part by saying that "Roe… could not be repudiated without serious inequity to people who, for two decades of economic and social developments, have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail." (Planned Parenthood v. Casey)

MYTH: Roe v. Wade empowers women to choose freely whether abortion is their best option.

FACT: Legalized abortion has made it easy for others to pressure women into having abortions. Not freedom, but "lack of control over one’s life" is associated with high abortion rates, as is "lack of financial and social resources."

An on-line survey of women who had abortions showed that many women feel pressured by the baby’s father: 85% of fathers offered no encouragement to continue the pregnancy. When women said they wanted to continue the pregnancy, the fathers’ dominant reactions were; "Slightly Upset 60%, Mad 38%, Very Angry 43%," compared to "Happy .7%." 73% of fathers suggested an abortion. 80% of the women surveyed experienced guilt, 83% regret, 79% loss, 62% anger, and 70% depression.

You can contact Greg at The Nebraska Catholic Conference, 215 Centennial Mall South Suite 310, Lincoln, NE 68508; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.