The US Supreme Court’s recent decision to toss aside 50 years of legal precedent in overturning Roe v Wade will impact millions of Americans, but rural women will arguably be hurt most by the ruling. If a woman lives in a remote, poverty-stricken, deeply religious area, getting an abortion will become almost impossible. The six Justices who voted in favor of overturning Roe are certainly cheering, but their decision will be deadly for women. According to the Lancet Public Health Journal, women who live in rural counties in Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming will have to travel more than 180 miles to get the health service they need.
The overturning of Roe v Wade seems to contrast with how the public views abortion, as public opinion research shows “62% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.” See an illustration of the struggle for abortion right access on this Guttmacher Institute map.
