Abortions
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The reason for debates on abortions are that abortions have not always been so safe. Between 1880 and 1973, when abortion was illegal in all or most sates, many women died or had serious medical problems after attempting to induce their own abortions or going to untrained practitioners who performed abortions with bad instruments or in unsanitary
conditions. An extreme number of women entered the emergency rooms of hospitals
with serious complications. For example, they had perforations of the uterus, retained
placentas, severe bleeding, cervical wounds, rampant infections, poisoning, shock, or
gangrene; therefore, the Supreme Court decision known as Roe v. Wade marked an
important turning point in public health policy. It made it possible for women to get safe,
legal abortions from well-trained medical practitioners and therefore led to dramatic
decreases in pregnancy related injury and death. This case arose out of a Texas law that
prohibited legal abortion except to save a woman's life. Since at that time, many other
states had laws similar to the one in Texas. The effect of those laws was that women
resorted in large numbers to illegal abortions. Jane Roe, a 21-year-old pregnant woman,
represented all women who wanted abortions but could not get them legally and safely
because of these laws...