Texas has passed a new law prohibiting abortion after six weeks into pregnancy.
The law which was passed by the Republican controlled state, disallows abortions after the recognition of what medical experts call a foetal heartbeat.
The law took effect following the non – responsiveness of the Supreme Court to an emergency appeal by abortion providers against the law. The law also allows any individual the right to charge to court doctors who perform an abortion past the six-week of pregnancy.
The Foetal “Heartbeat Act” was enacted into law by Governor Greg Abbott of Texas in May. The act was taken to court by civil rights groups, – Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who cajoled the Supreme Court to block the legislation.
The crux of the matter is that – any woman in Texas who decides to have an abortion after six weeks would have to travel to another state. The legislation was only able to make exceptions in cases of medical emergency, which requires written proof from a doctor, but not for pregnancies resulting from rape ( with or without consent ) or incest.