The Supreme Court Is Considering a Major New Restriction on Abortion Rights

Pro-choice activists were up in arms on Monday when the Supreme Court announced that it would hear a case related to a Mississippi law that, if upheld, would constitute a major blow to abortion rights in the state and set a precedent that could directly contradict Roe v. Wade. Below, find the answers to all your questions about the case and what it could mean for reproductive rights across the U.S.

What is the law being reviewed by the Supreme Court?

The Mississippi case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, revolves around a law enacted by the GOP-dominated Mississippi legislature that banned abortions if “the probable gestational age of the unborn human” was determined to be more than 15 weeks. The only exceptions indicated are for medical emergencies or a “severe fetal abnormality.” A panel of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of the law, and it has been sitting on the Supreme Court’s docket for months.

When will the Supreme Court start reviewing the law?

The court said on Monday that it would review the law next term; terms start on the first Monday in October and tend to last until late June or early July, so the issue could be on the table as soon as this fall, although a decision is not expected until the spring or summer of 2022.

Where do reproductive rights stand in Mississippi right now?

Mississippi already has some of the most aggressive abortion restrictions in the U.S., with only one licensed abortion facility in the state providing pregnancy termination services for pregnancies of up to 16 weeks.

What about the rest of the country?

Roe v. Wade forbids states from banning abortions before fetal viability—the point at which fetuses can sustain life outside the womb, or around 23 or 24 weeks. Still, abortion access has been steadily declining in recent years, not only in the South but around the country. If the Mississippi law is upheld, it could provide the grounds for eventually reversing Roe v. Wade and have serious ramifications for reproductive rights throughout the country.