Virginia~, With legislation that, if passed, would make anomaly in the South as a place where women have unrestricted access to abortions amid a rapid rise in restrictions in the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, South Carolina became the latest state to move toward a nearly total abortion ban on Wednesday.
One of the last safe havens in the area for women seeking safe abortions is South Carolina, but that situation may soon change. The state Senate, which previously rejected a measure to practically outlaw abortions but might grant the new legislation final passage next week, must now pass a bill that would almost fully ban access after roughly six weeks of pregnancy – frequently before women are aware they are pregnant.
Additionally, the majority of abortions performed beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy will no longer be legal in North Carolina as of July 1 following a successful override of the Democratic governor’s veto by the state’s Republican-led legislature late on Tuesday.
In many parts of the South, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, abortion is outlawed or severely limited. It is only permitted during the first six weeks in Georgia.
These limitations are feasible as a result of the famous Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, which established a universal right to abortion, being overturned by the US Supreme Court last year.
The proposed six-week ban in South Carolina, the 12-week ban in North Carolina, and a six-week ban in Florida that will only go into effect if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld by the state Supreme Court, according to Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, “would just be devastating for abortion access in the South.”
Republican representative from North Carolina Sarah Stevens said she saw the 12-week ban and other restrictions in the state’s new law as “safeguards,” not barriers to abortion.
She stated on Tuesday, “We seek to strike a balance between protecting unborn babies and ensuring the safety of mothers.”
Stricter restrictions across the South would increase Virginia’s accessibility and have a “ripple effect” as individuals travel from other states to get medical care, according to Lockhart. North Carolina had always been seen as a secure place, according to Dr. Erica Pettigrew, a family physician in Hillsborough. However, she said that as a result of the law, “North Carolinians will be health care refugees to other states,” adding that they might result in more paperwork and increased medical and licensing requirements.
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