The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments this week in a case that directly challenges Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling affirming the constitutional right to an abortion.
Roe guarantees the right to an abortion before a fetus is deemed viable, usually around 24 weeks. The case before the court considers whether a Mississippi state ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy is constitutional.
In the event the court does overturn Roe — giving states the option to ban abortions, as many states would likely do — abortion providers and advocates in California, an abortion rights stronghold, say they expect a surge in out-of-state patients seeking the procedure.