The Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, decided in 1973, resulted in a landmark ruling that established a woman's legal right to have an abortion under the constitutional right to privacy. The Court, in a 7-2 decision, ruled that states could not impose blanket bans on abortions in the first trimester and could only impose regulations that further maternal health in the second trimester. This decision significantly polarised American public opinion and was pivotal in the ongoing debate over reproductive rights, shaping both legal and political discussions on women's health and autonomy in the United States.