Abortion rights activists stage a counter-protest in Orlando on April 13, 2024, to kick off the “Yes on 4” campaign, which puts abortion rights on the ballot in the November 2024 election. (Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images) |
BY WAKABA OTO | May 1 marks the first day that Florida’s law banning abortion after just six weeks of pregnancy takes effect.
In April 2022, months before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Florida passed a law reducing the legal period for abortions from 24 weeks to 15 weeks. A year later, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed an increasingly draconian bill limiting abortions to six weeks of pregnancy. The enforcement of this six-week ban depended on the legality of the 15-week limit.
On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court—with its five DeSantis appointees—delivered its verdict: The 15-week ban is constitutional under state law, and therefore, the six-week ban can take effect.
The six-week cutoff effectively functions as a total ban. Pregnancy is determined from the last menstrual cycle; conception usually occurs in the second week, and the first sign of pregnancy—a missed period—typically appears around four weeks. This timeline gives patients as little as two weeks to recognize their pregnancy, schedule their appointment and arrange travel … assuming they realize they’re pregnant at all.
The law’s six-week timeframe is based on the state legislature’s assertion that a fetal heartbeat can be detected at six weeks. However, this claim contradicts scientific evidence, which shows that a fetal heart does not form until 10 to 12 weeks or later.
Florida also requires two in-person visits at least 24 hours apart before someone can get an abortion. (Click here to read more) |
