Abortion
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington advocates for every woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive options, including safe, legal abortion care. In addition we support efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion. In 1973, the Supreme Court guaranteed American women the right to choose abortion in its landmark decision Roe v. Wade. In Roe, the Court issued a compromise between the state's ability to restrict abortion and a woman's right to choose. Since 1973, the anti-choice movement has worked to restrict abortion rights and at the same time to limit access to abortion care. Most recently, the Supreme Court upheld the Federal Abortion Ban of 2003. (The case, Gonzalez v. Carhart, undermines the Roe decision by eliminating the requirement that abortion restrictions contain exceptions to protect the pregnant women’s health.) Below you can learn more about this case, as well as other attempts by anti-choice politicians to chip away at abortion laws by instituting parental notification laws, waiting periods for abortion care, biased counseling requirements, and RU-486 or Mifepristone, the FDA-approved option for early non-surgical abortion. Access to abortion care and the elections The next president of the United States may have the opportunity to appoint more than one new justice to the Supreme Court. We can elect a president that will work to protect Roe v. Wade in the Court by appointing pro-choice justices. An anti-choice president's appointees could overturn or severely damage Roe in the next few years. Furthermore, electing pro-choice candidates can help stem the tide of anti-choice legislation flooding state legislatures. Pro-choice legislators are crucial in protecting choice in every state.
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| In Our Own Words |
| NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Foundation has published "In Our Own Words" in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ...
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| First Federal Ban on Abortions, 2003 |
| In 2003, Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed the first federal law banning a medical procedure. This ban ...
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| Mifepristone/RU-486 |
| Despite what Bush claims, FDA-approved Mifepristone, when taken with the proper medical supervision, is not dangerous to a woman's health.The ...
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| Waiting Periods and Informed Consent Laws |
| Abortion-specific "informed" consent laws unnecessarily insert the government into private decision making and the doctor-patient relationship. This is consistent with ...
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| Parental Involvement Laws |
| Washington state does not mandate parental consent laws. However, if the federal government succeeds in its anti-choice campaign, Washington and ...
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