Abortion laws how many weeks

That means people like clinic staff, family members, or clergy who encourage or support the procedure could, in theory, be sued. Turning over enforcement of the Heartbeat Act to private citizens instead of government officials likely means that - in the absence of Supreme Court intervention - the law cannot be challenged until a private citizen seeks damages.

Kim Schwartz of the Texas Right to Life organisation, which supports the measure, told the BBC most anti-abortion laws are "held up in the court system for years" and this "thwarts the will of the people". She argued that courts would require "a credible claim that an illegal abortion occurred" and would still undergo fact-finding processes.

But the ACLU and other critics have suggested the Texas law will champion "a bounty hunting scheme" of costly "vigilante lawsuits" designed to harass women seeking an abortion. The ACLU noted tip lines have already been set up by anti-abortion groups. Abortion has long been one of the country's most contentious social issues.

However, polls from the Pew Research Center indicate nearly six in 10 Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In conservative Texas, an April poll found nearly half of the state's voters support a six-week ban on abortions. The Texas law is one of many recent efforts to limit abortions in states controlled by Republicans.

Three others - Idaho, Oklahoma and South Carolina - have passed six-week ban bills this year, all of which have been stalled by legal challenges and are yet to go into effect. According to the Guttmacher Institute, has already seen more restrictions enacted in any year since the Roe v Wade decision nearly 50 years ago.

Supporters of these measures have been emboldened by the makeup of the Supreme Court, which currently has a conservative lean. Pro-choice Americans have expressed fear that, if given the chance, a majority of the high court's jurists will opt to overturn national abortion rights. This would not make abortion illegal across the country, but rather, would return that decision to each of the states.

Some Democrat-led states, like New York, have enacted measures to safeguard abortion access in the event of this scenario. You may also want to speak to your partner, friends or family, but you do not have to.

They do not have a say in your decision. If you do not want to tell anyone, your details will be kept confidential. If you're under 16, your parents do not usually need to be told. The doctor or nurse may encourage you to tell a parent, carer or other adult you trust, but they will not make you. There are organisations, usually known as crisis pregnancy centres, that offer counselling around pregnancy. They do not refer people for abortion, and may not offer balanced or accurate advice.

If you go to a place that offers pregnancy counselling and you're not sure if they will refer you for an abortion, ask if they refer people for an abortion. Before having an abortion, you'll have an appointment to talk about your decision and what happens next. Whenever possible, you should be given a choice of how you would like the abortion to be carried out. After an abortion, you'll probably need to take things easy for a few days.

It's likely you'll have some discomfort and vaginal bleeding for up to 2 weeks. Read more about how an abortion is carried out. Abortion is a safe procedure.

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It often indicates a user profile. Log out. Grace Panetta and Shayanne Gal. Wade decision. Currently, 43 states restrict most abortions after a certain point of pregnancy. Here's the latest point patients can obtain an abortion in all 50 states. See more stories on Insider's business page. Get a daily selection of our top stories based on your reading preferences.