What was established in the case Roe v. Wade?

Roe v. Wade is a landmark Supreme Court case from 1973 that established a woman's legal right to have an abortion based on the constitutional right to privacy. The Court ruled that the right to privacy, which is implied by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, extends to a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy. This decision was groundbreaking because it recognized that the choice to have an abortion is a personal right connected to privacy and bodily autonomy.

The ruling also introduced a trimester framework for regulating abortions, which allowed states to impose certain restrictions in the later stages of pregnancy while still protecting a woman's right to choose in the earlier stages. This framework aimed to balance the woman’s right to privacy with the state's interest in protecting potential life. Therefore, the case fundamentally changed the legal landscape surrounding abortion in the United States and solidified the notion that a woman's choice regarding her reproductive health is protected under the law.