Jan. 22 will mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 7–2 Supreme Court decision that found a constitutional right to privacy that in turn meant a pregnant woman was entitled to have an abortion until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy without interference by any state. Prior to the decision, abortion was illegal in 30 states.
Tell us your own story about abortion. It could be the experience that changed your view about the issue; your recollection of what sexual healthcare was like before Roe v. Wade; or your decision about a pregnancy. We’ll read all the stories, and post many of them over the week marking the Roe anniversary. If you leave your email or phone, we'll use those only if we want to reach out to hear more about your story—they won't be made public or shared in any way.
Or, if you want to submit video, audio, or photos as well as or in addition to words, you can email files or links to dailybeastsubmit@gmail.com. (If you need guidance, follow these how-tos on uploading to YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud.)