Under Roe, states may ban abortions

• A. First trimester
• B. Third trimester
• C. First and second trimesters
• D. Second trimester

Answer: (B)

Roe v. Wade uses a trimester framework that ties what states can do to the stage of pregnancy and fetal viability. In the first trimester, the decision to terminate is left largely to the woman and her doctor, so states cannot ban abortions. In the second trimester, states may regulate abortion procedures to protect the woman’s health but cannot ban them outright. In the third trimester, once the fetus is viable outside the womb, the state's interest in potential life becomes strong enough to permit bans on abortions, with exceptions to protect the life or health of the mother. So, the correct idea is that states may ban abortions in the third trimester.