Today, on the 17th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision which gave women control over their own bodies, that very right hangs by a tenuous thread in Pennsylvania.

Gov. Robert P. Casey signed legislation in November that imposed stringent restrictions on abortion. Most of these restrictions went into effect last week, including measures that prohibit abortions based on a fetus' sex and ban abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy, except to protect the mother's life.

An injunction from a federal court judge stalled two additional requirement s: a 24-hour waiting period and spousal notification before having an abortion.

If these two requirements are abolished in court later this year, women will maintain at least some of their fundamental freedoms.

A waiting period forces women seeking abortions to make two trips to the hospital or clinic, which in some cases may be several hours from where they live. Many women cannot afford the extra journey or the potential income loss after missing an extra day of work.

The other requirement stalled by the injunction states that a woman must obtain written consent from her spouse before an abortion. A husband should not be able to wield control over his wife's body. Even notification is an unacceptable option, as a husband could pressure his wife not to have an abortion.

All women deserve the right to safe, legal and affordable abortions, regardless of their social or economic status. The law will not stop abortions; it simply will open the door to illegal, dangerous ones.

Some women have started to use cocaine and crack to induce abortions. This new and twisted technique brings memories of when back-alley abortions were performed with coat hangers.

The restrictions that did go into effect last week hardly help to maintain a woman's right over her body, but they are less dangerous than the ones currently being contested in court. Of the 5,786 abortions performed in the state last year, only 128 were performed after the 24th week of pregnancy.

If the court decides in favor of the injunction, government intervention in a personal decision will be lessened. Otherwise, women's basic rights will disappear.