Press Release: 2021-01-25

Planned Parenthood Celebrates 48th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Calls for Further Action

Washington - Today, on the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood Federation of America commemorates this important milestone and calls for robust action to protect and expand abortion access nationwide.

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

Today marks 48 years since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which established the legal right to an abortion. Yet, nearly half a century later, abortion is a right in name only for millions of people across the country. As reproductive justice organizations have said for years, Roe is the floor, not the ceiling. Without access to abortion, this right is meaningless. Now is the time for President Biden and our elected officials in states across the country to take necessary and immediate action to ensure that everyone, no matter their race, income, or ZIP code, has access to safe and legal abortion.

There is so much to do, not only to undo the harm of the Trump administration, but also make significant progress in advancing reproductive health access and rights. The Blueprint for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice lays out a proactive and specific policy agenda that is grounded in the fundamental belief that in order for people to be free and equal they must be able to exercise complete autonomy over their bodies. The blueprint includes First Priorities, a roadmap of executive actions to build sexual and reproductive health back better.