This paper reviews the controversy over abortion in the United States. The Supreme Court's decision in Roe vs. Wade in 1973 changed the issue from a private one to a public one. Antiabortion groups were reorganized and a counterattack was launched. The activists involved (both prolife and prochoice groups) represent extreme and opposite ends of the issue and therefore offer little hope of compromise. The questions arise : Is abortion legal or not? When does life begin? Who can make a decision about life and death? It is not easy to resolve these questions or the issue as a whole, without looking at the underlying issues. These include the role of traditional values (including moral, sexual and familial values), which are in turn influenced by a male dominated society.