Florida bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy: What implications will it have for the US?

United States’ Florida has passed a law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The anti-abortion bill passed by the Republican-led Florida Legislature on Thursday (13 April) was later signed into law by state governor Ron DeSantis. Florida’s House of Representatives approved the legislation by a vote of 70 to 40, sending the bill to DeSantis’ desk on Thursday. The state Senate had passed the bill last week. This six-week abortion ban offers DeSantis, who is seen as a major contender for Republican presidential primaries next year, a key political victory, noted Associated Press (AP). “Signed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which expands pro-life protections and devotes resources to help young mothers and families,” the Florida governor, who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy in May, wrote on Twitter.

Signed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which expands pro-life protections and devotes resources to help young mothers and families. pic.twitter.com/quZpSj1ZPk

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 14, 2023

What does the new law entail and what does it mean for abortion access in Florida and other US states? Let’s understand. Florida’s six-week abortion ban The new legislation, SB 300, restricts abortion up to six weeks of pregnancy from the earlier 15 weeks. One of the exceptions the bill provides is to save the woman’s life. Some other exceptions include pregnancies involving rape, incest or human trafficking where abortions will be legal until 15 weeks. However, victims will have to “provide a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order” before they can get an abortion. Under the new Florida law, abortion pills could only be dispensed in person or by a physician, as per AP. [caption id=“attachment_12454612” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Ron DeSantis has signed into law a six-week abortion ban in Florida. AP File Photo[/caption] Doctors would not be able to prescribe medication abortions through telehealth, reported The New York Times (NYT). The new law would also bar state funds from being utilised for a person to travel outside Florida for an abortion, except when it is a medical emergency or when federal law mandates it, the NYT report added. This six-week ban would come into effect only after Florida Supreme Court upholds the 15-week abortion restriction that was adopted in the state last July. ALSO READ: How contrasting rulings by two US courts could affect nationwide access to abortion pill Reactions to the new law Republicans and those opposing abortion have hailed the six-week ban, which has made Florida join those US states with some of the most restrictive laws on abortion. “I can’t think of any bill that’s going to provide more protections to more people who are more vulnerable than this piece of legislation,” Republican Representative Mike Beltran was quoted as saying by AP. Expressing support for the ban, Republican state Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka said in a video, as per Al Jazeera, “There is no greater purpose that drives me than giving every child an opportunity to be born and an opportunity to live”. Democrats have voiced their opposition to the new law and critics have argued the six-week window is too narrow for people to even realise they are pregnant, thus amounting to a “near-total” ban. “This ban would prevent four million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Thursday. “This ban would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in abortion-banning states throughout the South, many of whom have previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.” Denouncing the bill, Democratic Florida Representative Anna Eskamani called the bill “the most extreme abortion ban in Florida history”.

Governor Ron DeSantis just signed into law one of the nation's most EXTREME abortion bans and he doesn't want YOU to know about it. Please retweet so Americans know that he is DANGEROUS especially when it comes to abortion access & reproductive freedoms. #BansOffOurBodies

— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, PhD 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) April 14, 2023

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As per Politico, Eskamani said the ban would unjustly affect poor women who cannot afford to visit other states for abortion after the six-week window ends. “I’m a firm believer that bodily autonomy should not be dictated by how much money you have or where you live,” she said. “Those with means — we’ll figure out a way, but others won’t be able to do that.” US on abortion

Previous polls have shown that the majority of Americans want abortions to be legal in most cases.

As per a poll conducted by Pew Research Center last year, 61 per cent of Americans were in favour of abortion in most or all cases. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released recently showed that 43 per cent of Republicans said they would likely not vote for a candidate who backed limiting abortion access. A recent survey by Public Religion Research Institute found that around two-thirds of Floridians want abortion to be legal in most or all cases, reported The Guardian. ALSO READ: The sharp decline in women's rights across the world Florida ban’s impact on other US states After the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion under Roe v Wade last year, abortion has been banned or restricted in several GOP states. As per NYT, most of the 13 states in the country that bar nearly all abortions are in the South, such as Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Florida is among the US states with the maximum rates of abortions. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health Policy Research nonprofit says that, in 2020, approximately 74,868 legal abortions were performed in Florida, the highest in any US state, as per the Al Jazeera report. [caption id=“attachment_12454622” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Florida is among the US states with the maximum rates of abortions. Reuters (Representational Image)[/caption] According to data compiled by Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, there were 54 abortion providers in Florida at the end of 2022, noted NYT. With its six-week ban, Florida has joined the likes of Georgia, Iowa and Kentucky that prohibit abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Florida has served as a destination for people from across the South seeking abortions, especially those residing in states like Louisiana and Alabama that banned or severely restricted abortions post the US Supreme Court verdict. However, the new six-week ban would further limit abortion in Florida, forcing women to travel to other states such as North Carolina or Illinois, reported NYT. As per data gathered by Caitlin Myers, an economist at Middlebury College, the average driving distance in Florida to the nearest abortion provider is around half an hour. The new six-week ban would increase it to more than nine hours. Critics of the ban also say the bill would complicate matters for women diagnosed with pre-viability preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM), one of the most widespread pregnancy complications, according to The Washington Post report. Studies have shown the condition can cause severe complications, including infection and hemorrhage, that can risk the health or life of the mother, the report added. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.