The Texas abortion ban is a human rights disaster for women, and I’m concerned about the future. 

According to the law, any pregnancy in which a heartbeat is detected cannot be aborted. That practically implies that any woman that is six weeks pregnant and also has fetal heart activity cannot terminate a pregnancy in Texas.

   Given that most women don’t even know they are pregnant at six weeks, SB8 translates to a full abortion prohibition. This rule also makes no exceptions for rape, incest, or sexual abuse. It is the most restrictive law in the United States, and in addition to being criminally intrusive, the law is entirely irrational.

   This is not a debate over what is best for the unborn, because the new rule will undoubtedly result in an overflow of children pushed into foster care. Republicans have made this very apparent. Those who voted towards this law are not thinking about the outcome of this, they are more concerned about the power they have over those affected by this ban.     

   If the government really cared about the well-being of the children, Republicans would vote to direct tax resources away from businesses and the wealthy and toward education, housing, and food-based  programs. That is pro-birth, not pro-life. 

    This new law is not just damaging, but also improperly designed. Many women have irregular menstrual cycles or may not even recognize when their previous period began. A fetal heartbeat can be detected very early in a pregnancy, and many women are unaware that they are pregnant at this time. A pregnant woman is four weeks pregnant when she misses her period.

   According to Texas law, a woman has around two weeks to notice her status, confirm the pregnancy with a test, and decide whether or not to maintain the pregnancy or prepare for an abortion.

   As a result of this restriction, I am worried for the future of women in Texas. Not only would it endanger individuals who frantically seek an abortion beyond six weeks, but it will also put people who cannot afford to raise a child and must rely on the foster care system at a serious disadvantage. The Texas abortion ban is a direct danger to women’s rights.