The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, leaving abortion rights up to states. The 4th amendment of the Constitution protects the right to privacy against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. The 1973 Roe versus Wade decision ruled that the right to privacy includes the right to an abortion. Since the overturning of this decision, Illinois’ Governor Pritzker has protected abortion access, however many other states have banned it. Although Illinois specifically isn’t affected by this decision, students still have strong opinions regarding the case’s overturning. 

“I believe that it [having an abortion] is ethical because it comes down to the woman’s life and her decisions and not the unborn fetus,” freshman Orli Eisenburg said. 

Several students at Niles West share a similar perspective on abortion.

“It should be allowed because it’s a woman’s choice and the men deciding it is kinda wrong to me because men don’t experience pregnancy and stuff like that. So I think women should have the right to do what she wants with her body,” sophomore Alex Yohanna said. 

Other students feel that abortion is only acceptable in specific cases.

“Abortion is okay but only if you know about it early on and then you abort it. But if you’re like 8 months pregnant and then you abort it, I think if it’s developed and has a heartbeat and hands, it’s not right then,” freshman Casandra Beldie said. According to research from the CDC, third trimester abortions happen rarely, at only 1% of all abortions. The majority of these abortions are due to risk of death or medical issues that hurt the mother or fetus.

It is illegal to have an abortion in Illinois after the fetus is viable. The viability of a fetus is determined by the doctor’s judgment about whether or not the baby can survive outside of the womb. According to the Illinois General Assembly, if the fetus is deemed viable, the woman cannot have an abortion unless it is necessary to save the mother’s life or to protect the their health, including their mental health. 

“I am not a woman so my opinion doesn’t matter, but personally I feel like there’s a certain point where you can see the baby through an ultrasound, then it’s messed up,” Issac Buelvas said. According to the National Library of Medicine, the fetus is visible through an ultrasound 25 days after the pregnant person’s last menstrual cycle. 

Some students also feel that abortion is unacceptable under all circumstances.

“I feel that they shouldn’t abort. I feel that it would be a better solution to put the baby up for adoption. The main reason is because you are taking an innocent life away that could be used to do something great,” sophomore Caleb Melinte said.  

Students at Niles West had very mixed feelings about this highly controversial and sensitive topic.