logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
9m 37s

How many American women will have an abo...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court overturned its 1973 ruling on Roe vs Wade - the case which guaranteed a constitutional right to a legal abortion across the US, sparking heated protests and debates across the country.

But how many American women will have an abortion in their lifetime? One statistic circulating online puts it at as high as one in three. Reporter Charlotte McDonald has been looking into the figures and has uncovered some surprising statistics.

Up next
Nov 22
Is there a stock market crash coming?
<p>For months, the share prices of tech companies have marched seemingly-ever upward, driven by fevered excitement about the potential of Artificial Intelligence. But many are now voicing fears that this surge might turn out to be a bubble, which could burst with damaging effects ... Show More
8m 58s
Nov 15
Has there been a $50 trillion wealth transfer to the richest Americans?
<p>Bernie Sanders says a vast amount of wealth - $50 trillion - has moved from 90% of the population to the wealthiest Americans since the 1970s. The figure comes from a study by Carter Price, a senior mathematician at nonprofit research institute the RAND Corporation.</p><p>Tim ... Show More
8m 58s
Nov 8
Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?
The US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is on a mission to make America healthy again. One of his health-promotion ideas is to reduce chronic illness, specifically diabetes. And has part of his campaign he said that: "a typical pediatrician would see one case of diabetes in ... Show More
8m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
What impact could Roe v Wade abortion ruling have on Africa?
In June 2022, the US Supreme court overturned “Roe v Wade”, a landmark case which legalised abortion in 1973. It came after a young woman challenged the criminal abortion laws in Texas. Her case was heard on appeal in the US Supreme Court. The court ruled that a woman's right to ... Show More
16m 43s
Dec 2021
America’s abortion divide
The US Supreme Court has heard arguments in the most important abortion case in a generation. It is the biggest challenge to a 1973 ruling that legalised abortion nationally, and could change reproductive rights in the country. Ros Atkins looks at the abortion debate in the US an ... Show More
10m 11s
May 2022
Abortion in the US
Abortion is a deeply divisive issue in the United States that spans the law, religion and women’s rights. It has been a legal right for almost 50 years. Now, the Supreme Court – the top court in the country – is expected to overturn the law and rule that abortions can banned. It’ ... Show More
24m 19s
Apr 2024
Lila Rose: Could abortion be banned in the entire US?
Stephen Sackur speaks to one of America’s fiercest opponents of abortion rights, Lila Rose. The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, but she wants to go much further - to a total nationwide abortion ban. Is that a step too far for the American public? 
23m 34s
Nov 2023
Ending Roe Was Supposed to Reduce Abortions. It Didn’t.
<p>From the moment that Roe v. Wade was overturned, the question was just how much the change would reduce abortions across the United States. Now, more than a year later, the numbers are in.</p><p>Margot Sanger-Katz, who writes about health care for The Upshot, explains why the ... Show More
22m 7s
Jul 2022
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
<p>A little over 50 years ago, Nancy Stearns, a young lawyer, was presenting a case in New York with a bold legal assertion: that the right to abortion was fundamental to equal rights for women.</p><p>She never got to conclude her argument — first New York changed the law, then c ... Show More
36m 6s
Jun 2022
Coming soon … Abortion: The Body Politic
Forty-nine years ago, the landmark Roe v Wade decision guaranteed women the right to a safe, legal abortion. This June, the Supreme Court is expected to gut that historic ruling, triggering restrictive abortion laws in at least 23 states. While the United States is on the precipi ... Show More
3m 1s