Iowa, US State: Strict Abortion Law makes abortions almost impossible
A ban on abortions after the sixth week is set to take effect in the US state of Iowa as early as next Monday. This decision was made by District Judge Jeffrey Farrell on Tuesday. In the Midwest state, abortions have been legal up to the 20th week of pregnancy. The Republican-controlled Iowa legislature passed a drastically strict law in the summer, prompting Planned Parenthood and the ACLU to file a lawsuit.
In June, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to abortions in the state and lifted the stay of the lower court's decision, leading to Judge Farrell's ruling.
The new law bans almost all abortions once fetal heartbeat activity is detected, which typically occurs around the sixth week of pregnancy. At this point, many women may not yet know they are pregnant. The law allows for a few exceptions, such as in cases of rape, which must be reported to the police or clinic administrator within 45 days; incest, which must be reported within 145 days; in cases of fetal anomalies that are "not compatible with life"; and in cases where the mother's life is at risk.**
- This new abortion law in Iowa, set to take effect soon, will significantly intensify restrictions, as it bans most procedures once heart activity is detected, usually around the sixth week.
- As a criterion for legal abortions under the new law, rape incidents must be reported to the police or clinic administrator within 45 days of discovery, potentially impacting access to procedures in this US-state.
- While the restrictive law in Iowa allows for a few exceptions, such as in cases of fetal anomalies not compatible with life, it's important to note that abortions performed beyond the sixth week, when heart activity is typically detected, will become illegal in this US-state.
