The U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth (1975) was a significant ruling on the issue of abortion rights, specifically regarding state regulation and parental/spousal consent requirements. The court struck down several provisions in a Missouri law that imposed restrictions on abortions, including requiring written consent from the husband for married women seeking an abortion and parental consent for minors under 18 years old. The court ruled these provisions as unconstitutional because they violated a woman's right to privacy established by Roe v Wade (1973). Additionally, it invalidated the requirement that all second-trimester abortions be performed in hospitals due to its undue burden on access to abortions without sufficient health justification. However, it upheld other parts of the law such as record-keeping and reporting requirements which did not directly interfere with a woman’s choice or impose unnecessary health risks.

In the case of Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, Justice White dissented from the majority opinion that struck down a Missouri law requiring spousal consent for abortions. He argued that it was not an undue burden on women's rights to require them to consult with their husbands before making such a significant decision. He also disagreed with the court's invalidation of parental consent requirements for minors seeking abortions, arguing that parents have a legitimate interest in their minor children's welfare and should be involved in such decisions. Furthermore, he challenged the Court’s ruling against maintaining records as part of abortion procedures which were deemed by majority as invasion into patient’s privacy; according to him this could serve important state interests including protecting health and ensuring qualified medical care.