The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized an individual's right to privacy over personal issues, such as contraception, by acknowledging a "penumbra" of unenumerated constitutional rights as well as more general protections of due process of law. This means that the right to privacy is not explicitly stated in the Constitution, but it is implied from other rights that are explicitly stated, such as the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly, the Third Amendment right to be free from quartering of soldiers, the Fourth Amendment right to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures, the Fifth Amendment right to be free from self-incrimination, and the Ninth Amendment right to retain other rights not enumerated in the Constitution. These rights create a "zone of privacy" that protects individuals from undue government interference in their personal affairs. The Supreme Court first articulated this concept of privacy in Griswold v.
Connecticut (1965), where it struck down a state law that prohibited the use of contraceptives by married couples. The Court also relied on the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Court interpreted this clause to include a substantive component that protects certain fundamental rights from state regulation, unless there is a compelling state interest and the regulation is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. The Court has applied this due process analysis to other privacy issues, such as abortion, marriage, and sexual orientation. References:
* Privacy | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
* Privacy isn't in the Constitution - but it's everywhere in constitutional law
* Privacy Rights and Personal Autonomy Legally Protected by the ... - Justia
* Right to privacy | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute