Fighting for Accessible Health Care on Roe v. Wade Anniversary

January 22 marks the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court's landmark decision ruling that the right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution includes a woman's right to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term or to have an abortion.

Research proves that Americans still strongly support Roe v. Wade; a recent Hart Research poll shows that 62 percent of voters oppose overturning the decision. However, despite the support of millions of Americans, women's health and rights continue to be threatened. Recently elected anti-choice politicians are introducing bills on the state and federal level that will take away health care benefits and rights from American women.

"Rather than focus on fixing the economy and creating jobs, conservatives are pulling a bait and switch and are working to strip federal family planning funding from Planned Parenthood health centers," says Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO Carol Brite. "If that happens, millions of women who rely on Planned Parenthood for their primary and preventative health care--including annual exams, lifesaving cancer screenings, contraception visits, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections--would lose access to their main source of basic preventative health care."

On Roe v. Wade's 38th anniversary, Planned Parenthood is still committed to fighting state and federal anti-choice efforts against women's health care. With grassroots supporters in every state, Planned Parenthood is striving to educate the public on these threats and is working to stop legislation that threatens to take away women's health coverage and care.

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