Plight of one woman still affecting lives of others

An anonymous single woman from Texas -- known to the world as "Jane Roe" -- made history when she brought her problem to court thirty years ago. Roe was unable to have a safe and legal abortion in her home state because of a statute that banned abortions unless a woman's life was at stake. But on Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled that the constitutional right to privacy was "broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." Prior to the decision, women living in states where abortion was illegal had several options for terminating unwanted pregnancies -- seeking an abortion in another state, getting medical justification for the abortion or undergoing the procedure illegally, which was often dangerous or even lethal and prohibitively expensive. Thirty years after the Roe v. Wade decision, and after it has been challenged both in and out of court, its effects are still being felt throughout America, especially on college campuses like Penn. From candlelight vigils across the country to students voicing their opinions on Locust Walk, Roe v. Wade's 30th anniversary today has become an opportunity for discussion and debate. Representatives of Penn for Choice commemorated the anniversary by tabling on Locust Walk and hosting an information event at the Law School yesterday. Ten will also attend a national conference in Washington, D.C., and the group will host another open event next Thursday. On the opposite side of the argument, Penn for Life members will hand out literature on abortion on Locust Walk today and hope to send a group of students to the March for Life next year. Penn's Newman Center will be open all day and hold a prayer session tonight. "Our goal for [today] is to not let the Penn community forget the over 40 million unborn children that were not given the right to life and the women that have suffered from the physical and emotional trauma caused by abortion," College sophomore and Penn for Life member Rowland Chavez said. Penn for Choice members also hoped to use the day to share their views with the rest of Penn. "We are part of a generation that has never lived without the right to legal abortion," said College senior Leah Tulin of Penn for Choice. "And so, a lot of people don't realize how precarious our reproductive rights are and why it's important to have those rights." Tulin added that abortion is a particularly important issue for college women and men. "As an age group, the reality is that sex and all of these things are certainly a big part of our lives. You can't just ignore them." According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 33 percent of women aged 20 to 24 and 14.3 percent of women in Pennsylvania had an abortion in 2000. For Ellie DiLapi, director of the Penn Women's Center, the importance of reproductive rights goes beyond the issue of birth control. "It is critical to understand that women's control of our bodies is essential if we are to have control over our lives," DiLapi said. She added that the Women's Center works to ensure that students can exercise this power. "We try to help women to figure out what are the issues in their lives, and we provide information about a full range of reproductive health options so that they can really decide for themselves how they want to deal with an unintended pregnancy given their goals and desires," DiLapi said. "The issue that is really key is that college women make informed decisions about how to meet their goals and live their lives." Still, DiLapi said that while many women enjoy the freedom to decide whether they would like to have an abortion, this option is still not open to all women today because poor women have little, if any, access to healthcare. "What the legislature has done is to limit access to abortion for people who rely on government money for healthcare," DiLapi said. In addition, groups like Planned Parenthood and many feminist organizations are concerned that a woman's right to choose may soon be in danger because of the anti-choice majority in the Senate and the current structure of the Supreme Court. "This is a right we fought long and hard for, and it can be taken away," DiLapi said. "In the same way it's been taken away from poor women, it can be taken away from women of means." Women with medical questions may contact Women's Health at Student Health Services.