A new law in Texas that went into effect on September 1st, 2021 bans women from getting an abortion roughly after six weeks of pregnancy. The Texas Heartbeat Act differs from other abortion laws in the country because the law allows for people to have civil lawsuits against any abortion providers. If successfully sued, the person suing could be awarded $10,000 or more depending on the scenario. The alleged reason as to why this law has been put into effect is because people in the abortion clinic industry who are profiting off the abortions being given are going to be targeted by this new law which will lessen the amount of abortions performed in Texas.
This law does not require private citizens to provide proof of connection to the people they are suing. Women are deeply affected by this law for many reasons starting with the amount of time a women has to get an abortion. Women have six weeks of pregnancy to determine whether or not they would want or need an abortion. The reason behind the six week period is because that is around the time a heartbeat is detectable. The issue is that six weeks pregnant is roughly two weeks of a missed period. Missing your period for two weeks is not only caused by pregnancy. Period irregularities can be seen in women through stress and every cycle is different. Not every women’s menstrual cycle is the same.
The abortion law also makes no excuses for pregnancy caused by incest or rape. This means that women who go through either of those traumatic experiences could have to carry a child if they’re not aware that they’re pregnant within the six week time period that is in place. This alone strips the right of a women having a choice and say in whether or not she would want to have a child that was caused by a traumatic experience. Governor Abbot argued that Texas’ number one goal in the state is to eliminate rapist so no women go through rape.
However, what is not highlighted is that rapists are not a specific group of people that can just be wiped away. Majority of people who go through any form of sexual assault are individuals that the victim knows. They can be boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, uncles, fathers, brothers, friends etc. Victims that go through such trauma are more likely to not bring their cases to court because it could be a traumatizing experience as well. Therefore, eliminating rapists off the streets of Texas is going to be a much harder task than Governor Abbot thinks.
As of now, the law is still in effect in Texas. However, people opposing the law are organizing protests against it. Just last month, the Justice Department sued Texas over the law, stating it defies the constitution. Women who are in need of abortions in the state are traveling out of state in order to receive the service that they need. As for other states following in Texas’ footsteps, the law is still new so the potential effect of the law still needs to be tested. As a woman, fear is something that is present in regards of this new law that could potentially be adopted by other states.
About the Author
My name is Leah Drysdale. I’m from Long Island, New York. I’m a senior at St. John’s University and I am a journalism major. I’ve always had a passion for writing and journalism gave me the opportunity to write professionally.
