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Atlanta: Difference between revisions
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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
UPDATE: Georgia just signed into law a [https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/hb-481-georgia-law-criminalizes-abortion-subjects-women-to-life-in-prison.html restrictive new abortion policy] | '''UPDATE: Georgia just signed into law a [https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/hb-481-georgia-law-criminalizes-abortion-subjects-women-to-life-in-prison.html restrictive new abortion policy].(May 2019)''' | ||
Since 1973, abortion has been legal in the United States under the Roe vs. Wade decision. In Georgia, abortion is fully legal until 20 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. until the second trimester of pregnancy). After that time, a woman | Since 1973, abortion has been legal in the United States under the Roe vs. Wade decision. However, Georgia has the most restrictive abortion policy in the country. In May 2019, the governor of Georgia signed into law HB 481, which is also known as the "fetal heartbeat" bill. This law states that abortion is banned after the detection of any “embryonic or fetal cardiac activity,” which typically occurs at about six weeks of pregnancy. Furthermore, the bill states that "...unborn children are a class of living, distinct person," and people who seek out abortions can be punished by law. In fact, a pregnant person who seeks out an abortion would considered to be assisting in a murder, according to this law, and therefore could face life in prison. Furthermore, there are no protections against pregnant people who self-terminate abortions, thereby making them vulnerable to prosecution as well.<ref>[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/hb-481-georgia-law-criminalizes-abortion-subjects-women-to-life-in-prison.html Georgia Just Criminalized Abortion. Women Who Terminate Their Pregnancies Would Receive Life in Prison.]</ref> | ||
However, this law is very new, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has announced that it will challenge it in court.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/07/health/georgia-abortion-bill/index.html Georgia's governor signs a controversial abortion bill into law]</ref> For this reason, we'll need to keep this page updated as news develops. | |||
Before these changes in laws, abortion was fully legal until 20 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. until the second trimester of pregnancy). After that time, a woman could only receive an abortion if it was considered medically necessary (i.e. the pregnancy endangers the health or life of the woman). As written in a report, "This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy."<ref>[https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-georgia State Facts About Abortion: Georgia]</ref> In order for a pregnancy to be performed after the second trimester, a physician and two consulting physicians needed to confirm that the abortion was medically necessary (to preserve the life or health of the mother).<ref>[http://statelaws.findlaw.com/georgia-law/georgia-abortion-laws.html Georgia Abortion Laws]</ref> | |||
While abortion is legal, it's certainly not free of restrictions in Georgia. The state is largely conservative and traditional religious beliefs play a large role in politics. For a woman to legally obtain an abortion, she must first receive counseling (which is managed by the state) that includes information explicitly urging her from seeking out an abortion. Following this counseling, the pregnant woman must wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided. After the first trimester, the abortion must be performed in a licensed hospital or health facility.<ref>[http://statelaws.findlaw.com/georgia-law/georgia-abortion-laws.html Georgia Abortion Laws]</ref> | While abortion is legal, it's certainly not free of restrictions in Georgia. The state is largely conservative and traditional religious beliefs play a large role in politics. For a woman to legally obtain an abortion, she must first receive counseling (which is managed by the state) that includes information explicitly urging her from seeking out an abortion. Following this counseling, the pregnant woman must wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided. After the first trimester, the abortion must be performed in a licensed hospital or health facility.<ref>[http://statelaws.findlaw.com/georgia-law/georgia-abortion-laws.html Georgia Abortion Laws]</ref> | ||