In Light of What We Know About Fetal Development in 2021, Is Roe v. Wade Outdated?

Legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom asked college students at the University of Mississippi whether they’d heard of Roe v. Wade and whether the “law” is outdated.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1973 ruled that women have a constitutional “right of privacy” to kill their unborn babies until the stage of viability. The state has a compelling interest to protect unborn life and restrict abortion if the baby can live outside the womb. During the second trimester, the state may regulate abortion “in ways that are reasonably related to maternal health.” During the third trimester, the state may restrict or ban abortion “except where necessary, in appropriate medical judgment, for the preservation of the life or health of the mother.”

Roe effectively legalizes abortion through all trimesters, while allowing states to limit abortion based on viability. The high court is hearing arguments in a case out of Mississippi challenging the state’s law that bars abortion after 15 weeks.

Do you think the majority of students featured in the video know these facts? The reporter showed students ultrasound images of a 15-week unborn baby from 1973 and now. The difference is stark. Watch the video to see the students’ reactions and what they had to say.

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