Insider
Current Affairs
US ABORTION BAN—WHAT
IS TO COME?
An abortion ban has been legalised in the US states and has
caused an uproar. Is this a restriction to human rights? Laura
Onyemem—Benedict
Anti– Abortion laws
were active in the
twentieth century but
in 1973, the supreme
court decision Roe. V
Wade legalised abor-
tions. However, a few
US states have
brought back the
ban, it is now report-
ed that 41 states in
America have intro-
duced more than 250
anti-abortion
measures. On 15th
March, Arkansas Gov
Asa Hutchinson
signed HB 1439 into
law, stopping getting
an abortion after 18
weeks into pregnan-
cy, but the law made
an exception for rape
and incest victims.
On 15th march, Matt
Bevin, Kentucky’s
gov, signed a six-
week abortion bill,
but on behalf of Ken-
tucky’s abortion clin-
ic, Judge David J.Hale
temporarily paused
the ban. On 21st
March, Phil Bryant
signed a 6 week
abortion ban. Physi-
cians violating the
law were to get their
medical licence re-
voked. The law may
take place on 1st Ju-
ly. On 25th March, Utah
brought an 18 week
abortion ban. If this law
is violated, women
could face up to 15
years in jail with a
$10,000 fine. In April
Utah Attorney General’s
office announced it de-
layed the enforcement
until further notice. On
11th April, Ohio signed
a 6 week abortion bill. If
law is broken, women
could also face jail time
and pay a $20,000 fine.
On 7th may, Georgia,
signed a law that re-
stricts abortion as early
Pro-choice
protestors
as six weeks into a
pregnancy. It is
stated that those
who seek abortion
or miscarry, are
criminally responsi-
ble. On 15th May,
Alabama, signed the
most extreme ban
on abortion. It bans
abortion in every
case, unless there is
a risk to both the
mother and the ba-
by. It does not in-
clude exceptions for
rape or incest and
those who break
this law can face up
to 99 years of pris-
on time. This law
will not take effect
until 6 months and
many more states
have signed the
ban. This has
caused a division
among citizens.
Opinions are driven
by the fact that kill-
ing a baby is reli-
giously and morally
wrong; an embryo
is still seen as life,
therefore abortion is
murder. However
some protest that
abortion should be a
personal choice and
is fixed as a human
right, where nobody
The College magazine online: sixthformmag.blogspot.co.uk