"The impact of the abortion decisions was immediate. All of the abortion laws, across all fifty states, were rendered unenforceable, thereby lifting the threat of prosecution against abortion providers. Though abortion was legal in some states before January 1873, Roe enabled abortion clinics to open in every state. By February, abortion clinics-some run by former “back alley abortions”-opened in major cities like Chicago. Roe barred public health officials from enforcing health and safety regulations in the first trimester. By invalidating Georgia’s hospitalization requirement, the Justices encouraged the movement of abortion practice from hospitals to stand-alone clinics. The federal courts were given continued oversight of any new regulations that might be passed by state or local governments. Roe empowered abortion practitioners to challenge any abortion regulations, including health and safety regulations, in federal court."