The new ban has an exception for saving a woman’s life, as well as in cases involving rape and incest.
AP correspondent Donna Warder reports on Florida’s new abortion ban.
Vice President Kamala Harris also criticized the six-week ban on abortions during an event Wednesday in Jacksonville.
“And today, this very day, at the stroke of midnight, another Trump abortion ban went into effect here in Florida.
They hope moderate views of the ballot initiative will turn out younger voters to vote Democrat when faced with the binary choice between a six-week abortion ban or protecting abortion until viability.
Nathan Mitchell, president of Florida Atlantic University College Republicans, said he would support a total abortion ban, and he hopes the amendment doesn’t pass.
The state’s data shows that more than 7,700 women from other states received abortions in Florida in 2023.
Florida Democratic leaders are encouraging women to seek help from abortion funds and resources.
Florida’s Boca Raton. (AP) — Doctors worry that Florida’s new law, which outlaws most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy—before many women even realize they are pregnant—will deny women in the state access to essential medical care.
Dr. The anti-abortion laws being passed by Florida and other red states, according to reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist Leah Roberts of Boca Fertility in Boca Raton, are being loosely drafted by individuals who are ignorant of medical science. The regulations affect nonviable pregnancies for women who wish to have children as well as women who seek therapeutic abortions, or procedures to end viable pregnancies due to personal choice.
Roberts claimed, “We’re getting in the way of them and their doctors and keeping them from getting care until it literally saves their lives, sometimes at the expense of their fertility.”.
There is an exemption to the new law for situations involving rape and incest, as well as for rescuing a woman’s life. However, according to Roberts, medical professionals are still prohibited from carrying out an abortion on a nonviable pregnancy until it truly becomes lethal, such as when the fetus is implanted outside the uterus or lacks organs.
Roberts remarked, “We’re being told that in order to intervene, we have to wait until the mother is septic.”.
Besides the physical danger, there is also the psychological trauma of having to carry a fetus that the mother knows will never be a healthy baby, Roberts said.
After being informed that they would never be able to have a live birth, Roberts stated, “They’re feeling the kicks for months.”. The idea that you could take care of it at 20 weeks, allow them to move on, become pregnant again, and be able to hold their babies that much sooner is just horrifying. “.
AP Audio: Physicians fear that women won’t have access to healthcare once Florida’s 6-week abortion ban goes into effect.
Donna Warder of AP provides information on Florida’s recent abortion prohibition.
With little delay, the Biden campaign held former President Donald Trump accountable for the “extreme” six-week ban.
“Trump is concerned about being held responsible by the electorate for the violence and mayhem he caused. He is correct. Trump has stripped American women of their freedom and rights. About the new abortion ban, President Joe Biden said in a statement, “This November, voters are going to teach him a valuable lesson: Don’t mess with the women of America.”.
At a Wednesday event in Jacksonville, Vice President Kamala Harris also expressed her disapproval of the six-week abortion ban.
Over 20 states now forbid abortion because of Donald Trump, according to Harris. “And another Trump abortion ban went into effect here in Florida at midnight on this very day. Four million women in this state woke up this morning with fewer options when it came to their reproductive health than they had last night. “.
One major problem with the ban, according to Roberts, is that physicians who perform emergency abortions must first learn the techniques by performing therapeutic abortions. Thus, the next generation of doctors won’t be able to acquire the skills necessary to carry out an emergency abortion if the majority of abortions are outlawed.
Roberts expressed concern that, similar to other states that have outlawed abortion, the limitations may force seasoned medical professionals to relocate from Florida.
“People are leaving, so even for basic OB-GYN care and maternity care, we’re going to have less access to care for our general population,” Roberts stated.
Women will also need to travel a great distance from their homes to have abortions. According to Stephanie Pineiro, executive director of Florida Access Network, the organization that assists in financing abortions, anticipates a sharp rise in expenses. She calculates that a woman’s trip expenses for an abortion in another state would come to about $3,000. Prior to 12 weeks, North Carolina would be the closest location; after 12 weeks, Virginia or Illinois would be.
“Having to deal with these kinds of barriers and having to leave your home is very emotionally taxing and challenging,” Pineiro remarked.
Republicans appointed five of the seven justices on the Florida Supreme Court. Six weeks of the state’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy was made possible by Ron DeSantis’ 6-1 ruling last month. DeSantis signed a 15-week ban in2022, and it was in effect while it was being contested in court. The six-week ban was designed to go into effect one month after the 2022 law was upheld, and it was passed by the Legislature a year later.
State Senator for Republicans. Abortions should not fall under the category of bodily autonomy, according to Erin Grall, the sponsor of the six-week prohibition.
Grall stated, “We live in a time where responsibility has been replaced by convenience and the consequences of our actions are an afterthought. This is unacceptable when it comes to the protection of the most vulnerable people.”. “.
Because of a different ruling by the state Supreme Court that made a proposed constitutional amendment eligible to appear on the ballot in November, voters in Florida may be able to include abortion rights in the state constitution. As per the proposal, abortion before viability or when required to safeguard the patient’s health, as assessed by the patient’s healthcare provider, shall not be prohibited, penalized, delayed, or restricted by law. One exemption is allowed for, which is already included in the state constitution: parents must be informed before their minor children can have an abortion.
Democrats in Florida are hoping that young voters will vote in favor of enshrining abortion rights in order to counter the Republican advantage in voter registration—900,000—over Democrats in the state. They anticipate that younger voters, faced with the choice between a six-week abortion ban and preserving abortion until viability, will support the Democratic Party due to their moderate opinions of the ballot initiative.
The chairman of the political action group Florida Future Leaders, Jayden D’Onofrio, stated that young Floridians have a “genuine chance to influence the electoral terrain.”. Given the national election victories for abortion rights, he believes Florida can encourage young people to register as Democrats.
Florida Atlantic University College Republicans’ president, Nathan Mitchell, stated that he would be in favor of outlawing abortion completely and expressed his hope that the amendment would not be approved. According to Mitchell, the majority of people support abortion restrictions, typically for bans on abortions performed between 10 and 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The majority of states controlled by Republicans have implemented laws prohibiting or restricting abortions since the U.S. s. The Supreme Court reversed the Roe v. Wade in 2022 June. According to a survey of abortion providers done for the pro-abortion Society of Family Planning, Florida has seen the second-largest increase in the total number of abortions performed since the ruling. According to state statistics, in 2023 Florida performed abortions on over 7,700 women who were from other states.
Women are being urged by Florida’s Democratic leaders to look for resources and funding for abortions. Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book urged women on Tuesday not to “take matters into your own hands” and instead to access abortion travel funds.
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