Iowa's six-week abortion ban goes into effect

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LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Iowa now bans nearly all abortions, as early as six weeks of pregnancy. That's down from around 20 weeks in the previous law. Iowa Public Radio's Natalie Krebs reports.

NATALIE KREBS, BYLINE: The so-called fetal heartbeat law goes into effect following a legal battle that ended last month when the Iowa Supreme Court ruled the law doesn't violate the state Constitution. It bans abortion as soon as cardiac activity is detected. This can be as early as six weeks of pregnancy, which is before many people know they're pregnant. Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds calls the law, quote, "a victory for life." Anti-abortion rights supporters like Maggie DeWitte, the executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, are also celebrating seeing it take effect.

MAGGIE DEWITTE: It's just a range of emotions to now finally get to this day where the legal process in the State of Iowa is finally going to protect babies from the moment the heartbeat can be detected.

KREBS: Planned Parenthood North Central States says the law will block most Iowa abortions and widen health inequities. Iowa joins a wave of states limiting abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights two years ago. It's the fourth state with a six-week ban. There are 14 other states with bans on nearly all abortions according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. Alex Sharp, who oversees the Planned Parenthood clinic in Ames, says she spent the last week trying to fit in last-minute appointments before the cutoff. Sharp says, many couldn't come in due to issues like work conflicts or a lack of childcare.

ALEX SHARP: So, unfortunately, those people, I was able to connect them with a navigator, and they will have to go out of state because they are already above the GA, the gestational age of six weeks.

KREBS: The law does have exceptions for rape, incest, life-threatening situations, or if the fetus has a fatal condition. But this still concerns doctors like Francesca Turner, an OBGYN in Des Moines and co-founder of Iowans for Health Liberty, which supports abortion rights. She worries the legalities of documenting exception could delay emergency care.

FRANCESCA TURNER: I don't want to stop after we make some decisions and say, well, maybe I should call my hospital attorney and get some more information if I can act now or not.

KREBS: Turner says Iowa doctors are still trying to figure out how these exceptions work under the new law.

For NPR News, Natalie Krebs in Des Moines. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.