Are Pregnant Women Persons After 20 Weeks’ Gestation?
Each year, six million women in the United States become pregnant. Approximately four million women go to term, one million have abortions, and nearly one million experience pregnancy losses, including thousands of stillbirths that occur after 28 weeks of pregnancy. All of these women are at risk when legislators attempt to establish a point in pregnancy when women may be deprived of their civil and human rights.
In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks; last week, a similar bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate. In July, Texas became the 13th state to pass such a ban, and on November 19 the citizens of Albuquerque, New Mexico, will get to vote on a ballot measure that would impose such a ban.