Heartbeat Bill

The Heart Bill (Senate Bill 8) in Texas prohibits abortion once a heartbeat is detected. A heartbeat in a fetus can be detected around 6 to 7 weeks (sometimes earlier) and most women do not know they are pregnant at this time. This law does not accommodate rape or incest situations and state law requires two visits to the pregnancy clinic. Even though some surrounding states offer abortions past 6 weeks, some women cannot afford to travel out of Texas to get an abortion. Texas has also limited information to get care out of the state. This bill takes away women’s constitutional rights, especially when they cannot provide for the child. Mothers would be forced to take time off work, scrap for money, look for child care, and much more since Texas is not giving any support after prohibiting them to terminate the child. There have been cases where the child can put the mother at risk but the law stops doctors from performing an abortion because of the heartbeat being detectable. Possible solutions include exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, a bill similar to the state of Ohio’s current abortion law (as of March 2022) that states abortion is legal up until 20 weeks of pregnancy, and/or supporting families financially that are forced to carry out full-term pregnancies. Implementing accurate Sex Education courses in school can also decrease the number of teen pregnancies and abortions because the practice of safe sex and the use of different contraceptives will be taught and along with that, make those various contraceptives more accessible through advertising and lower prices