An Iowa judge has ruled that the state’s six-week abortion ban, known as the “fetal heartbeat” law, will officially take effect on July 29. The law bans abortion after fetal cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound around six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities, and to protect the mother’s life. Governor Kim Reynolds hailed the decision as a victory for life. Iowa will join more than a dozen other states with near-complete abortion bans. Planned Parenthood has estimated that 97-98% of abortions performed in Iowa will be banned by the new law, affecting a significant number of patients.
The law will be enforced by the Iowa Board of Medicine, which has not specified penalties for doctors who violate the law. The board’s administrative rules require physicians to perform ultrasounds on patients seeking abortions and prohibit the procedure if cardiac activity is detected, except in certain circumstances. Critics argue that the rules do not provide clarity on how providers can intervene in cases of medical emergencies, potentially putting patients at risk. Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers intend to continue offering services under the ban, despite constitutional concerns that were not addressed by the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the law.
Overall, the enforcement of the six-week abortion ban in Iowa is set to significantly restrict access to abortion in the state, affecting a large number of patients and raising concerns about the clarity and impact of the enforcement rules.
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