The landmark legal case that recognized a woman's right to make medical decisions in the U.S. was Roe v. Wade (1973). This Supreme Court decision established a woman's legal right to choose to have an abortion, emphasizing the constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The ruling determined that states could not restrict abortion access during the first trimester, striking down many existing state laws that limited women's reproductive rights. Roe v. Wade significantly influenced discussions about women's rights and health in America and sparked ongoing debates surrounding reproductive rights and legislative policies.