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The law against abortion that prevents the termination of pregnancy after six weeks and is rated as the most restrictive conservative reform in the country came into force this Wednesday amid severe criticism from civil rights experts, in addition to the president Joe Biden , who described her as “extreme ”
Although she faced different challenges in court, the Supreme Court did not act on a request to block the norm, although they could make a last minute determination, and then open a more in-depth discussion, especially since experts indicate that the legislation violates the precepts imposed by Roe v. Wade .
According to experts, the new law is equivalent to an almost complete ban on abortion in Texas.
“(The law) would immediately and catastrophically reduce access to abortion in Texas, excluding care for at least 85 percent of patients ”, claim the activists in a petition to the High Court.
National regulations in entities where abortion is legal follow a guideline imposed by the Supreme Court, which prohibits states from prohibiting abortion before fetal viability, generally between the 22 and 24 weeks of pregnancy, although each local congress can implement criteria without violating that kind of “guide.”
The tricky point in Texas law focuses on providers of medical or counseling services, who may be r criminally prosecuted for procedures , that is, organizations that guide women or the clinics that care for them would face complications.
President Biden criticized the rule, known as SB8 and approved last May, which establishes that it will not be possible to abort the moment the product’s “heartbeat” is heard.
“ Texas law will significantly affect women’s access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and low-income people , “said the president. “It scandalously delegates private citizens to bring lawsuits against anyone they believe has helped someone else get an abortion, which could even include family members, healthcare workers, reception staff at a healthcare clinic, or strangers without connection with the individual. ”
The Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed the law in May 19.
“In Texas we work to save those lives … And that’s exactly what the Texas Legislature did in this session, ”he stated.
Jamille Fields Allsbrook, Director of Women’s Health and Rights at the Center for American Progress, criticized the decision on the law and considered that it will be “Almost impossible” for a woman to receive safe care from trained providers.
“Approximately the 85 percent of those who obtain a abortions in Texas are at least six weeks pregnant, which means that the law will effectively ban almost all abortions , “he noted. “This misogynistic and racist law also allows any private citizen to sue anyone who helps someone access abortion services, including abortion providers, as well as family and friends who support their loved one.”