The 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade is cheered by the abortion industry and pro-choice population and viewed with rose-colored glasses.  But many people, pro-life and pro-choice alike, don’t know what Roe actually did. It struck down all previous state laws outlawing abortion and made it legal at any point and for any reason. Euthanizing a baby on their due date? Roe says that’s fine. Read on to learn more you may not have known about this landmark abortion decision.  

Did You Know…

1. Roe never had an abortion & became pro-life.

Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe, did not have an abortion but placed her baby with an adoptive family. She might have initially wanted to abort her child, but the case wasn’t decided by the time she gave birth. Some years later, she would devote much of her life to becoming one of the most outspoken pro-life advocates.

2. Roe is for unrestricted abortions.

Roe v. Wade equals unlimited abortion access with no regulations and no exceptions. As Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins said, “If you like some limits on abortion, you don’t like Roe.”

3. It had a companion case — Doe v. Bolton.

Doe v. Bolton was issued the same day as Roe. The case legalized abortion on demand for the full nine months of pregnancy by expanding the definition of a woman’s health to include, “all factors–physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age–relevant to the well-being of the patient.”

4. In January 2020, over 200 members of Congress requested Roe v. Wade be reconsidered.

The lawmakers said the right to an abortion was “unworkable” and that Roe. v. Wade should be reconsidered or overruled by the Supreme Court. 

They mentioned that abortion facilities were unsafe and, “It is impossible for abortion clinics and doctors to share or represent the interests of their patients when they seek to eliminate the very regulations designed to protect their patients’ health and safety.”  

5. A 2020 Marist poll says most Americans want Roe v. Wade restricted or overturned. 

The poll reports that 62% of Americans would want abortion either restricted by individual states or made illegal. This includes four in 10 of those who identify as Democrats (39%) or as “pro-choice” (40%). Students for Life polling has found that millennials tend to support Roe v. Wade – but not after they find out how extreme it is.