In Mississippi Abortion Is Now Illegal At 15 Weeks – The Strictest Abortion Law in the US

It wasn’t that long ago (January, in fact) that President Trump live streamed his speech at the March for Life anti-abortion rally. In his speech, he criticised abortion laws and swore to ‘defend the right to life’. Rewind to April of last year, you may remember Trump signing legislation with the intention to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. This essentially reversed an Obama-era rule, that barred the government from withdrawing federal funding for family planning services.

I’m sorry to say the fight continues. On Monday, Mississippi’s governor Phil Bryant signed the House Bill 1510 which is a legislation banning abortions at 15 weeks onwards. This is the earliest abortion ban in the nation. The bill also states that there are no exceptions for rape or incest. The only exemptions are if there is a foetal abnormality which is ‘incompatible with life’, or if the mother’s life is in danger.

The bill also required doctors who perform abortion procedures to file reports of the details and circumstances. If they knowingly violate the law, they could have their licences revoked.

In a video published on his Facebook page, Republican governor Phil Bryant said that he is ‘committed to making Mississippi the safest place in America for an unborn child’.

In reaction to this bill, the only abortion clinic in Mississippi – The Jackson Women’s Health Organisation - has filed a lawsuit with the aid of The Center for Reproductive Rights. They are asking the courts to block the ban as it violates Supreme Court precedent.

In 1973 the courts made the decision in the Roe Vs Wade case, that states cannot put the interests of a fetus ahead of the mother’s interests until the fetus is viable. In short, this means that if the unborn baby can survive on its own outside of the womb (with or without medical aid) it is, by their definition, viable. According to medical professionals, a baby can survive outside of the womb at 24 weeks. So, this bill is surely a violation of a US woman’s constitutional rights.

In 2014, The Supreme Courts ruled that Arizona’s proposed abortion ban at 20 weeks was unconstitutional. Undoubtedly, the same can be said for this bill?

Not only is banning abortions at 15 weeks unconstitutional, it’s also a breach of a woman’s right of choice. If abortions remain criminalised, they remain stigmatised. Legal restrictions reinforce the idea that abortion is morally wrong. Stigma and shame can affect a woman seeking care, as well as their ability to seek support. In worse case scenarios, this can result in physical or mental health complications. Women should have the right to decide what happens to their own bodies. The control rests with them, not the government

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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.