Association for the Study of Abortion

The Association for the Study of Abortion (ASA) was an American organization founded around 1965[a] dedicated to the study of abortion and advocacy for the liberalization of abortion law. Its founding members included the obstetrician-gynecologists Alan F. Guttmacher (then president of Planned Parenthood) and Robert E. Hall, who served as the organization's initial chairman.[1]

ASA funded research as well as educational material aimed at the public. It initially took a conservative approach to the reform of abortion law, though it later embraced the more radical cause of repeal, and provided support to the attorneys who argued the landmark Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade in 1973. The organization was dissolved after the success of Roe v. Wade, which found that women had a constitutional right to an abortion.[5]

ASA was founded in New York, but had a national focus, and was the only national-level abortion rights organization until the founding of the pro-repeal NARAL in 1969.[2]: 24–25 

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  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference hall-84 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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