Today, the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the state’s 6-week abortion less than a year after a prior version of the ban was struck down, rendering it effective immediately.
Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health responds:
“This week, our country experienced a huge loss as two states banned abortion. As a physician who has provided the full spectrum of reproductive health care for all of my career, I am devastated by these decisions.
…we will continue see the ripple effects of abortion bans on people’s health and wellbeing for generations
“Today, only two days after Indiana’s abortion ban went into effect, South Carolina’s 6-week abortion ban was implemented. It is not lost on me that this decision was rendered by an all-male panel of judges. This ban will have a massive impact on the ability of individuals to get the care they need. While some people who discover their pregnancies very early on will be able to continue to get care, we know that a 6-week abortion ban, in reality, essentially functions as a total abortion ban, eliminating access to abortion for most people seeking care.
“As entire regions of the country have limited to no abortion access and continue to feel the devastating impacts of the Dobbs decision, we will continue see the ripple effects of abortion bans on people’s health and wellbeing for generations, including worsening maternal mortality rates, increased rates of people living in poverty and lower educational and economic attainment. I remain grateful to the organizers, advocates, patients, and providers whose are relentless in this fight. We will not stop pushing back against these harmful bans. Every person deserves care.”