Another was those in need of other care — women who miscarry, couples seeking fertility treatments and access to some forms of contraception, and might be collateral damage of abortion bans. There were fears expressed by some that other rights — birth control and same-sex marriage, among them — might be imperiled by Roe's demise (and in the end, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested just that ). As the weeks ticked by without a Supreme Court ruling, operators of abortion clinics planned for a future they had long feared — a time when the service they provided would be illegal.