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US: West Virginia says ‘yes’ to abortion ban leaving ‘window’ for rape cases

“Yes” to a bill that imposes strict restrictions on abortions its deputies said on Tuesday (13/9). West Virginia prohibiting the operation even from the first days of pregnancy, with some exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s health is at risk.

The bill, which must be signed by Gov. Jim Justice, is the second to be adopted in a US state after the Supreme Court in June overturned its ruling that protected women’s right to abortion.

Moreover, the adoption of the bill in West Virginia came at a time when disagreements have begun to emerge among Republicans over the how strict abortion restrictions should beahead of the midterm elections in November.

The conservative party is in favor of restricting abortion. But a pro-abortion vote in Kansas, the New York state primary and polls showing 60% of Americans favor abortion rights have led some Republicans to shift their stance to avoid losing women. voters.

At the federal level, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham proposed yesterday to restrict abortions throughout the US after the 15th week of pregnancy.

In West Virginia, Republicans, who hold the majority in the state legislature, have argued for weeks over how strict the legislation should be. They eventually limited the amount of time adult female rape victims can get an abortion, but dropped criminal penalties for doctors.

When can women who have been raped have an abortion?

According to the adopted bill, abortions are prohibited as soon as the fetus has implanted in the uteruswhich usually happens a few days after conception. Underage victims of rape or incest have up to 14 weeks to have an abortionwhile adult females only eight weeks.

At the same time, as reported by the Athens News Agency, abortions should only be performed by doctors who have the right to work in hospitals, otherwise they risk a prison sentence. At the same time, anyone – doctor or clinic – who offers abortion services that are considered illegal risks losing their license.

West Virginia Sen. Eric Tarr, a Republican, said he believes abortion should be banned from the moment of conception with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, saying it punishes babies for the sins of the father. their.

However, he estimated that the bill would achieve the goal of closing the only clinic in the state that offers abortions.

“This bill insults West Virginia doctors, calls into question their competence and puts their patients’ lives at risk while subjecting them to egregious government surveillance,” said Alyssa Clemens, director of public relations for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

Source: News Beast

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