Abortion

Recent legislative activities in countries show the U.S. risks being out of step with the progress that the rest of the world is making in protecting sexual and reproductive rights.

The bill signing comes on the heels of a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that it is considering weakening or overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

If the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the landmark decision, it will have a major impact in states across the country that have already signaled their intention to further restrict or ban abortion.

Leaks of any kind are rare at the Supreme Court, but in 1973, the original Roe decision was leaked to the press before the court formally announced it. The chief justice was furious.

The U.S. Supreme Court has supposedly decided to overrule Roe V. Wade, according to a leaked first draft opinion obtained by Politico. The document has not been verified by NPR.

The legislation is partly a reaction to the wave of new measures in conservative states restricting abortions and in some cases levying civil and criminal penalties on people who perform them.

Even without a Supreme Court ruling, a new Kentucky law shut down abortions for several days before a federal court stepped in. Abortion rights groups fear it's just the beginning.

In a victory for abortion rights advocates, the judge blocked a law that effectively eliminated abortions in Kentucky after the state's two remaining clinics said they couldn't meet its requirements.

Florida is the latest state to pass legislation that further restricts access to abortion. The new law bans abortions after 15 weeks, but doesn't have exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.