What is Roe v Wade and how does it affect abortion rights in the US?

A woman's right to have an abortion through the first trimester of pregnancy was protected nationally in the US in 1973, following the Supreme Court's landmark 7-2 ruling in Roe v Wade

Roe v Wade provoked a firestorm among social and judicial conservatives, who have long sought to undermine or overturn it.

A leaked initial draft majority opinion suggests the US Supreme Court will vote to overturn the Roe v Wade decision that legalised abortion nationwide, Politico reported on Monday.

The Supreme Court and the White House declined to comment.