Long story short: With Roe v. Wade overturned, what’s next?

By Alyssa Place, This is my expertise

Published June 24, 2022 11:40 AM EDT Updated June 24, 2022 11:58 AM EDT 2 Min Read

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, ending a decades-long constitutional protection to the right to an abortion for millions of people in the United States.

The ruling will end federal protection for abortion, and give states the power to determine the legality of the procedure. Currently, three states — South Dakota, Louisiana and Kentucky — have laws that immediately ban abortion unless necessary to save a pregnant person’s life. Texas has banned abortions after six weeks, but will move to make it illegal in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision. These trigger laws will also take effect in at least eight other states.

Six in 10 women who have abortions are already mothers, and half of the women have two or more children, according to the CDC. Notably, Guttmacher Institute found that nearly half of the women who get abortions live below the poverty line. Working-class women and women of color (who disproportionately make up the share of low-wage workers in the U.S.) will suffer the most, since they will not have the means to access care in states with reproductive rights still in place.

“Most women who seek abortions are already mothers,” says Monifa Bandele, chief strategy officer at social welfare organization and advocacy group MomsRising. “When we talk about family planning, it’s important that moms have that right, not just for themselves but for their families.”

Alyssa Place

Editor-in-chief

Alyssa Place is the editor-in-chief of Employee Benefit News and has been with the team since 2019. Her work covers mental health, DEI, women at work, financial wellness, retirement and workplace … Read full bio

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