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Sarah Becker

English 137H

Professor Taheri

30 October 2022

How Abortion Rights Became Mainstream

Women’s rights have always been a prominent issue in the United States, which dates

back all the way to the 19th century. However, during the 1960s and 1970s, abortion rights

became one of the mainstream issues in women’s rights to bodily autonomy. Institutes such as

the American Law Institute, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the American Civil

Liberties Union all created campaigns against the controversial arguments over birth control and

other anti-abortion issues in the 1960s. This increased attention on protecting women became

used as a political tactic in order to gain the support of the Pro-Life movement, hence being the

reason there is such a large division between this idea today. The reason abortion rights became

such a current and popular matter was that it became known to the public through countless

efforts of protests and other campaigns, which emphasized how women faced issues with

delivering and raising children based on economic reasons, mental health, and life-threatening

issues to the mother.

In past centuries, such as the mid-1800s, abortions were not seen as such a taboo idea.

There was a lack of technology and science that is used today to determine the growth of a fetus.

For example, in the article Abolishing Abortion, “Quickening occurred when the pregnant

woman could feel the fetus move, typically between the fourth and sixth month of pregnancy.

This was the only sure way to confirm pregnancy; before this time, any fetus was considered
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only a potential life…” (Holland). This absence of information pertaining to the creation of

babies led to the ongoing question of when a fetus was “alive” and whether or not there should

be a certain point during pregnancy that a fetus can be aborted or not. Along with that, the

primary duty of women was to raise a family. It was important for women to be healthy to do

this. For instance, “...laws against post-quickening abortions were primarily intended to protect

the health of the pregnant woman—not fetal life…” (Holland). During these times, the common

stigma and role of women were to reproduce and take care of their children. If a fetus that was

only seen as a “potential life” threatened a mother's health, then it was more critical to save the

mother to continue their duty to society. Overall, it is important to recognize the differing

societal standards in place during these times compared to today because it represents a catalyst

of the shift that would occur during the 1960s and 70s.

Fast forward a few decades to the 1960s and 1970s when protests began to affect

decisions made in the government. In New York in 1970, over ten thousand supporters of

women’s rights marched for equality. There have been feminist protests in the past, but the

difference in this protest was the inclusion of all types of women fighting for gender equality. For

example, the main matters they were fighting for were these basic ideas of the National

Organization for Women: “free childcare, equal opportunities in education and employment, and

access to abortion” (Seidman). These three ideas all connect, as they were all created for women

to be successful in life and have equal opportunities as men. One of the differences of this

second-wave movement was that it included both the younger generation and women from the

first wave in the 1920s and 30s; “While women in the 1960s and ’70s invoked the “first-wave”

suffrage generation, they also built on the continuous work of New York women who emerged

from left-wing movements of the 1930s” (Seidman). Having past references to look upon, along
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with a fresh generation with new innovative ideas, created a much stronger protest that contained

ideologies that are still prominent in modern-day feminist movements. Without these two waves

of feminist movements, there would be nowhere near the amount of public attention shown over

the fight for abortion rights today.

The main cause of the passing of Roe v Wade was based on the paradigm shift of how the

right to abortion became a well-known issue throughout the United States and how it ultimately

led to an expansion of women’s rights. Roe v Wade opened an entirely new world for women to

learn and thrive on their own and were no longer dictated by the decisions of men. The right to

privacy was declared as a valid reason to end a pregnancy, which automatically revoked 43

abortion laws throughout the states (Wheeler). This decision was created because of the

numerous women and organizations who were determined to gain the rights they deserved. In

particular, Gloria Steinem was one of the activists that played a large role in bringing media

attention to abortion rights. Steinem was a feminist and journalist in the 1960s and 1970s who

created New York magazine as a way to highlight current issues and events such as the second

feminist wave. “Steinem first spoke publicly in 1969 at a speak-out event to legalize abortion in

New York State, where she shared the story of the abortion she had overseas when she was 22

years old” (Michals). Being able to speak out about a personal experience to thousands of people

took away part of the stigma surrounding abortions and created a community. Without the

full-blown media coverage that roofed over feminist movements, there would not have been

nearly as many people following this case.

The outcome of abortion awareness ultimately led to the passing of Roe v Wade and the

right for women to have access to their bodily autonomy. Abortion levels rose to their peak in the

1980s and 1990s, and the number of abortion clinics, physician offices, hospitals, and other
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clinics was at its highest in the 1980s (Diamant and Mohamed). Over the next few decades, these

numbers slightly declined as contraceptives such as birth control and plan B became more

commonly used. Also, illegal abortions went from 130,000 to 75,000, and the number of deaths

in women from illegal abortions went from thirty-nine to three (Blakemore). These numbers

show how important this decision was for women who were not able to afford to receive an

abortion or had the money to receive one out of state. Although Roe v Wade was passed, women

continued the fight for their rights because of harder requirements that states created, such as

only being able to terminate a pregnancy after a certain trimester. For example, Planned

Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v Casey allowed abortion regulations at the state level

(Holland). Additionally, women also used this win over bodily autonomy to continue the fight

for women's rights overall, such as the creation of the “Me Too” movement, which advocated for

the prevention of sexual violence for everyone (Burke). However, as most know, Roe v Wade

was overturned in the summer of June 2022, which led to an outbreak of numerous protests

across the country because many states in the South, Midwest, and Plains have already placed

restrictions or prohibited abortions. Considering that most of these states are made up of Black,

Hispanic, and Indigenous women concerns abortion rights activists as many will be given harder

times crossing state lines to receive an abortion (Artiga). As we have seen the hundreds of

protests and campaigns that women have created since Roe v Wade was passed, it is quite

obvious that they will not stop now to defend their abortion rights.

First, much of the attention being given to women having the right to an abortion was

because of economic status. Many women who need an abortion are economically unable to

raise a child. Many cases similar to this idea were pursued in Roe v Wade and brought further

public media. For example, Norma McCorvey, a resident of Texas, protested for an abortion
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because of substance abuse issues and a lack of providing the necessary care for a newborn baby

(Blakemore). “But the court declined to order Texas to stop enforcing the old law, and Wade

refused to stop prosecuting doctors. As McCorvey’s case made its way through the court system,

she ultimately gave birth for a third time and placed the child for adoption” (Blakemore). She

could not afford to leave the state to receive an abortion, unlike other wealthier women who had

a higher education to have a job. Cases like this one often lead to an increase in children in the

United States that have to grow up living through the foster system. Following that, many single

mothers or mothers of numerous children are unable to fully provide for a family if they have no

opportunity or time to have a career. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research states, “Having

fewer children increases a woman’s ability to participate in the labor market…increases in

women’s control over their reproductive outcomes may empower women within their

households, changing their access to resources and ability to control their own economic paths”.

(Berstein and Jones). Having the mindset that you can have control over your own body creates

the idea that you have the power to have control over the rest of your life, including jobs,

hobbies, and other interests. Women who are given the right to bodily autonomy have the ability

to improve their socioeconomic status, along with the economy of the rest of the United States.

Following that, mental health stigmas have changed over the past decades since the 1950s

(Youth.gov), leading to increased research on how the denial of abortions has affected pregnant

women mentally. As mental health has become more aware within society and does not have as

much of a negative reputation, it has become emphasized as a generous rationale as to why

women should have the choice to have an abortion because of the toll it takes on one’s life after

having to birth an unwanted fetus. The main cause of consideration for abortion is because of

sexual assault. Obviously, the outcome of this horrific event will cause tremendous mental health
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issues in the future. From ages 12-45, around 32,101 pregnancies are caused by rape (Holmes).

Imagine thousands of girls and women not understanding why they have to birth the child of

their rapist. However, it is important to recognize the women who brought the idea of mental

health and abortions mainstream. Another movement that was included during the second

feminist wave was the Anti-Rape movement in the 1970s. As women had more opportunities in

the labor force and politics, this led to new rules and social standards of gender roles. For

instance, “The work that needed to be done to stop the rape of women and lift us from the

physical, psychological and institutional brutality of second-class citizenship became crystal

clear when women spoke publicly about the rape in their lives” (Resource Sharing Project).

When gender roles changed, women became more equal with men and took a stand against their

actions because of the past ideologies that women were objects. The rise in this movement would

encourage others to continue to fight for the right to an abortion. Many people realized the

mental issues women would face after being raped and having to live with that moment for the

rest of their lives, and lead to the creation of the “Me Too” movement by Tarana Burke.

There are numerous reasons why women should be given the right to an abortion: rape,

incest, or even finding out a fetus will be born with a rare genetic disorder. According to The

New York Times, Caroline Sullivan found out she was pregnant with a fetus who had a disorder

called Turner Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder) and was unable to find a physician willing to

perform a procedure. Her daughter died in utero after being born “I went through five or six

weeks of absolute torture…I am still working through the PTSD of being denied the choice of

how to end my pregnancy…” (Caron). When a woman is denied an abortion, the likely outcomes

are depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Because of state law, women have to face the consequences of

an action that was created by others. They are denied the right to their privacy and their bodies.
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Without movements like the Anti-Rape movement and others during the second feminist wave,

the public would not be aware of all the traumatic experiences women go through in their minds

because of the restriction of abortion rights.

An important issue that made abortion rights more well-known and fought for was

because of the physical and life-threatening factors that a mother (or even the fetus) could face

during pregnancy, labor, and after giving birth. For example, in the 1960s, a virus called Rubella

spread throughout the United States, which could cause “deafness, heart defects, mental

disabilities, or even death in babies born to mothers who were infected during pregnancy”

(Little). This deadly virus would eventually lead to the idea that women should be given the

option to have an abortion if infected because of the significant outcomes it would have on a

newborn child. Once rubella started rapidly spreading, doctors began performing abortion

procedures based on the term “therapeutic abortions,” which was the roughly defined idea that

women were able to terminate their pregnancies if it endangered them or the fetus. Because the

definition of therapeutic abortions became more defined, it led to a rise in the belief that women

should have the right to an abortion. For instance, “One reason rubella was a convincing

argument for abortion, Reagan says, is that the conversation was framed as a family issue, rather

than women’s liberation issue…” (Little). As this was still taking place during the 1960s, the

idea that women should be able to birth healthy children was still avid. Although at this time, the

right to abortion seemed to be based on the idea of creating families, it would spark a movement

in the following years when more people would share the common idea that women should be

able to have an abortion because it is a human right. Although under adverse circumstances,

these viruses have defined the idea of therapeutic abortions, hence beginning to de-stigmatize the

idea of abortion.
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Some may say that a shift in the media that ultimately led to the passing of Roe v Wade

about ideas based on economic, mental, and physical reasons is not true because of the

controversial beliefs surrounding abortion; along with the fact that states were still legally able to

put restrictions on abortions, thus leading to the overturn of Roe v Wade. Abortion disagreements

began to stem from political and religious beliefs instead of human rights. The anti-abortion

movement became larger once Roe v Wade was passed, only increasing the tension between both

groups and even making this a Democratic v Republican debate. For instance, “...legalizing

abortion in all fifty states, changed everything and nothing…After 1973 the direction of pro-life

activism changed, even as its demographics and core political arguments remained the same”

(Holland). Divisions between people for and against abortions both used tactics to gain support,

even though it would eventually lead to the overturn of Roe v Wade. A group called “operation

Rescue” was an anti-abortion extremist group that “created human blockades in front of clinics”

(Holland). This intense protest brought much media attention throughout America, only igniting

the idea of illegalizing abortions. As the media has only become more influential and popular, it

has also led to a rise in fake news. The overall messiness and disorganization of the media today

is the reason why Roe v Wade was overturned. However, it is important to decipher the

difference in the media from fifty years ago compared to today. Despite the issues the media

faces creates in 2022, it still created the shift for the passing of Roe v Wade. Ideas involving

economic, mental, and physical reasons were diffused throughout America, helping support the

pro-choice movement.

Every day, women and supporters of the women’s reproductive rights movement continue

fighting for their right to an abortion. As most know, the overturn of Roe v Wade occurred only a

few months ago, in June 2022. The past paradigm shift of how abortion rights became such a
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mainstream issue through the use of protests and numerous campaigns has become a trend that

has followed all the way up to 2022 and most likely years after. Although Roe v Wade has been

overturned, this does not mean that the fight for women’s rights will stop. As we have seen in the

past, protests, including one of the largest U.S. women’s marches during the 1970s, are why

changes in abortion rights have been altered because of feminist activists, including Betty

Friedan, Alice Paul, and Gloria Steinem. There have already been similar trends, as numerous

protests in New York and across the country occurred in opposition to the overturn of Roe v

Wade. These past events will determine the future and how activists can continue to make a

change for women considering the foundation that economic, mental health, and physical issues

have been given for abortion rights.

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Works Cited

Blakemore, Erin. “The Tumultuous History That Led to the Landmark Roe v. Wade

Ruling.” History, National Geographic, 23 June 2022,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/roe-v-wade-the-tumultuous-history-tha

t-led-to-the-landmark-ruling.

Wheeler, Leigh Ann. “The Making of the Right to Abortion.” American Civil Liberties

Union, American Civil Liberties Union, 18 October 2018,

https://www.aclu.org/issues/reproductive-freedom/abortion/making-right-abortion.

Holland, Jennifer L. “Abolishing Abortion: The History of the pro-Life Movement in

America.” The American Historian, Organization of American Historians, 2022,

https://www.oah.org/tah/issues/2016/november/abolishing-abortion-the-history-of-the-pro-l

ife-movement-in-america/.

Seidman, Sarah. “Reconsidering Feminist Waves through the Strike for Women's Equality

March.” Museum of the City of New York, 26 Aug. 2019,

https://www.mcny.org/story/reconsidering-feminist-waves-through-strike-womens-equality

-march.

Bernstein, Anna, et al. “The Economic Effects of Abortion Access: A Review of the

Evidence.” IWPR, 10 Aug. 2020,

https://iwpr.org/iwpr-issues/reproductive-health/the-economic-effects-of-abortion-access-a-

review-of-the-evidence/.
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Wilson, Jacque. “Before and after Roe v. Wade.” CNN, Cable News Network, 22 Jan.

2013, https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/22/health/roe-wade-abortion-timeline.

“May Is National Mental Health Month.” May Is National Mental Health Month |

Youth.gov,

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alth%20Month%20was%20established,celebrate%20recovery%20from%20mental%20illn

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CL;, Holmes MM;Resnick HS;Kilpatrick DG;Best. “Rape-Related Pregnancy: Estimates

and Descriptive Characteristics from a National Sample of Women.” American Journal of

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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8765248/.

“A Brief History of the Anti-Rape Movement.” Resource Sharing Project, 22 June 2022,

https://resourcesharingproject.org/resources/a-brief-history-of-the-anti-rape-movement/.

Caron, Christina. “Does Being Denied an Abortion Harm Mental Health?” The New York

Times, The New York Times, 24 May 2022,

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/well/mind/abortion-access-mental-health.html.

Little, Becky. “Way before Zika, Rubella Changed Minds on Abortion.” Science, National

Geographic, 3 May 2021,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/160205-zika-virus-rubella-abortion-br

azil-birth-control-womens-health-history.
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Michals, Edited by Debra. “Gloria Steinem.” National Women's History Museum, 2017,

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/gloria-steinem.

Diamant, Jeff, and Besheer Mohamed. “What the Data Says about Abortion in the U.S.”

Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 24 June 2022,

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e-u-s-2/.

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Disparities?” KFF, 6 Oct. 2022,

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f-the-overturning-of-roe-v-wade-for-racial-disparities/.

Burke, Tarana. “Get to Know Us: History & Inception.” Me Too. Movement, 16 July 2020,

https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/history-inception/.
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