According to a leaked Supreme Court document, millions of women in the United States may soon lose their legal right to abortion.
The paper, obtained by Politico, implies that the country’s highest court is prepared to overturn a 1973 ruling that made abortion lawful across the country.
Individual states would be permitted to restrict abortion if the Supreme Court overturns the Roe v Wade decision.
Abortion is projected to be outlawed in nearly half of the states in the United States.
The justices of the Supreme Court are scheduled to rule in late June or early July.
Mississippi is asking for Roe v Wade to be overturned, therefore the court is looking into it. In December, the justices heard the case.
Thirteen states have already passed so-called trigger laws that, if Roe is overturned this summer, will automatically prohibit abortion. Others are more likely to enact legislation swiftly.
According to statistics from Planned Parenthood, a healthcare organization that provides abortions, 36 million women might lose access to abortions.