A law banning abortions before most women know they are pregnant goes into effect in Iowa on Monday, once again changing access to abortion in the United States more than two years after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
The law bans abortions after fetal “cardiac activity” is detected — electrical activity that’s usually found on an ultrasound about six weeks later, before many women even know they’re pregnant.
The law would have a ripple effect across the Midwest, as people seeking abortions would have to travel farther and wait longer to receive care.
Republican-led states such as South Dakota and Missouri have banned or restricted abortion, while Democratic-led states such as Illinois and Minnesota have taken steps to strengthen and protect abortion access.
For Iowans, the closest states that allow abortion are Illinois and Minnesota, but some women may be able to travel to Nebraska, which bans abortions after 12 weeks.
Iowa’s law was passed by state Republican lawmakers during a special session last year and was briefly in effect, but was blocked following a lawsuit by abortion providers including Heartland Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled 4-3 last month that the ban could be enforced because there is no constitutional right to abortion in the state.
Exceptions may be made for rape and incest if they are reported to police or a medical institution within a certain time frame. Medical exceptions include “non-viable” fetal abnormalities or when the pregnancy puts the woman’s life at risk.
Sexual abuse victims have exactly 45 days to report to police or a doctor; incest victims have 140 days. To perform abortions without risking professional disciplinary action, the Iowa Medical Board requires doctors to record details of the assault and determine the girl or woman’s veracity.
“Today is a victory for life. There is nothing more sacred, no cause more worthy, than protecting innocent unborn lives,” Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said in a statement last week when it was announced the ban would take effect Monday.
Iowa is now the fourth state to enact a “heartbeat” law, banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Fourteen other states have near-total bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy.
Democrats, who hope to use support for abortion rights to their advantage in state and national elections this year, blasted the new law in a statement and placed full blame on former President Trump.
“Today, Iowa enacted a Trump abortion ban, making Iowa the 22nd state to do so.and “No other state in our country will implement Trump’s abortion ban,” Vice President Kamala Harris, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, said in a new video released Monday. “That means one in three women of reproductive age in America live in a state that will implement Trump’s abortion ban. So what we need to do is vote.”
The Harris campaign is using the Iowa ban as a springboard to launch a “Fight for Reproductive Freedom” week of action, holding events in key battleground states “to help voters understand what’s at stake for reproductive rights in this election.”
According to the campaign, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and surrogates including Reproductive Freedom for All CEO Mini Timaraju, Texas-based radio host Ryan Hamilton and Kentucky reproductive rights activist Hadley Duvall will be working in New Hampshire, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.
Meanwhile, Iowa abortion clinics said they would continue to provide the procedures where legally permitted and would help women travel out of state.
The Gutmacher Institute, an abortion rights research group, estimates that 4,150 abortions will be performed in Iowa in 2023. Officials with Planned Parenthood North Central States estimate that the number of abortions performed in the state would fall by at least 97 percent if the law goes into effect.
