MSFC Update - April 2004

Roe v. Wade and Morgentaler Decision Anniversaries

Dozens of MSFC groups across the United States and Canada celebrated the 31st anniversary of Roe v. Wade (the January 22, 1973 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion) and the 16th anniversary of the Morgentaler decision (the January 28, 1988 Canadian Supreme Court case that decriminalized abortion).

While these monumental cases protected women’s constitutional right to make their own reproductive choices, the truth is that in many parts of the U.S. and Canada, it’s still simply a theoretical right. Anti-choice activists and politicians are working diligently to deny women their reproductive freedom, and abortion services are increasingly hard to access. Medical Students for Choice® groups help to reverse this trend by working to make reproductive health care education a standard part of medical training, accessible to all medical students.

Medical students across the U.S. and Canada commemorated the court decision anniversaries by raising awareness about the abortion provider shortage and the lack of training opportunities for medical students and residents. Their activities included organizing speakers, attending rallies, sponsoring letter-writing campaigns, and screening videos.