Florida’s law prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect on Wednesday, making it one of the most restrictive states in the country regarding abortion availability.
Florida’s six-week abortion restriction superseded the prior 15-week ban, which prohibited the practice before most women knew they were pregnant.
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Abortion is presently illegal or severely limited in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Virginia is the closest state to Florida that does not have abortion gestational limits.
In response to a legal challenge seeking to overturn the state’s 15-week abortion ban, the Florida Supreme Court ruled on April 1 to uphold it.
The six-week trigger restriction, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, went into effect on Wednesday, 30 days after the court verdict.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and abortion providers against the state, alleging that the prohibition violates the Florida Constitution.
The Florida Supreme Court approved a ballot measure on April 1 to firmly establish abortion rights in the state’s Constitution. In November, voters will be able to decide the future of abortion access in the state.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade and the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion.
Two months before the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, Republican lawmakers in Florida approved legislation prohibiting abortion procedures beyond 15 weeks, which had previously been confined to 24 weeks.
Prior to Wednesday’s prohibition, Florida served as a crucial hub for women in the southeastern United States who reside in states that have outlawed nearly all abortion services following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
The Guttmacher Institute forecasts that there were 4,950 more abortions performed in Florida from January to June 2023 than in the same period in 2020.
The American Pregnancy Association calculates pregnancy from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period, which shortens the time it takes to diagnose pregnancy before six weeks.
Furthermore, in order to obtain an abortion in Florida, patients must complete two in-person medical visits within 24 hours.
