Top 6 Things You Need to Know About 6-Week Abortion Bans

Anti-abortion politicians in Ohio and South Carolina are proposing abortion restrictions that are just so, so awful. They want to ban abortion at six weeks. That this is patently unconstitutional does not seem to bother them at all. So, here are six reasons to show they are trying to pour a boatload of bad ideas into a pint glass.

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1. First, many women don’t find out they are pregnant until after six weeks into their pregnancy.

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This means that for some women, this would ban abortion even before they knew they were pregnant. It’s almost as if the politicians pushing these laws were TRYING to… Oh, I see what you did there.

Thought you were going to sneak that by us, didn’t you?

2. Second, there’s no way a six-week ban meets constitutional muster. None.

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It would be easier to get a federal judge to ban Christmas music in December. North Dakota already tried this (banning abortion at six weeks, not that thing with Christmas music) and a federal judge tossed it out on its ear, writing, “H.B. 1456 is an invalid and unconstitutional law… As a practical matter, [it] would ban nearly all abortions performed at the only clinic in North Dakota which provides such services.”

Arkansas tried a 12-week ban, but that also got shot down in federal court. So apparently politicians think they are qualified to make medical decisions for women AND pass unconstitutional laws.

3. Third, the politicians pushing this bill are gynoticians at their worst.

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Most politicians aren’t gynecologists. And, as it turns out, actual doctors know a lot more about women’s health than your average politician.

Dr. Elise DeVore Berlan, a physician and associate professor of pediatric medicine, recently spoke out against Ohio's six-week ban:

"All doctors want to provide the best medical care possible for their patients. We stay on top of the latest research, techniques, and procedures within the medical and scientific community, and we use every resource possible to ensure the health of our patients," she said. "Why, then, would politicians believe they know what's best for pregnant women? Passing [a six-week ban] would push all of that medical and scientific knowledge aside. That's bad medicine."

4. Fourth, politicians had to get sneaky even to pass the six-week ban out of the committee.

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Some members of a legislative committee who were expected to vote against the Ohio bill were replaced with more extreme politicians. A six-week ban would be the most restrictive abortion law in the country and is so extreme even Ohio’s anti-abortion governor and Ohio Right to Life won’t support it.

When you have to change the rules to win the game, no wonder you can’t even get your allies to work with you.

5. Fifth: Voters don’t like crazy.

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Lest you think that the midterms provided some sort of justification for trying to ban abortion, think again. Last month, voters firmly rejected two “personhood” amendments in North Dakota and Colorado — the same thing an overwhelming majority of Mississippi voters did in 2011. Mississippi!

These measures would have protected the rights of fertilized eggs, which would ban all abortion and restrict access to common forms of birth control. North Dakota voters were so opposed to the measure that they additionally defeated its key sponsor in the state legislature.

6. Last, this isn’t even what most people who oppose abortion want politicians to be doing.

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It breaks down like this: More than two-thirds of all registered voters believe abortion should be legal. In fact, nearly half of American registered voters are “personally against abortion for myself” but “don't believe government should prevent a woman from making that decision for herself,” according to a poll that NARAL Pro-Choice America commissioned.

When even people who agree with you on opposing abortion aren’t with you on banning abortion, you might want to rethink your plans.

But you don't need six reason to know why a six-week ban is a bad idea, just one: These bills in Ohio and South Carolina would put government in charge of making a woman's private medical decisions. This is America, and they're free to say whatever they want about abortion — but when it comes to making those personal decisions, a woman should have the last word.

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