In the landmark case of Roe v. Wade (1973), the Supreme Court held that the Constitution grants a woman the right to choose to have an abortion, thereby protecting her privacy under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Court concluded that a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy is fundamental, but also recognized that this right is not absolute. The ruling established a trimester framework, balancing the government's interests in regulating abortions with a woman's rights—allowing states to impose regulations as the pregnancy progresses. This decision has since been pivotal in the ongoing debates over reproductive rights in the United States.