HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been a little over a month since the six-week abortion ban went into effect in Florida. For many years, people from surrounding states came here for abortion access.
Now that the new legislation is in place, the closest place women in Florida can go to access abortion care after six weeks is North Carolina.
ABC Action News is committed to sharing perspectives from both sides of this issue. Anti-abortion groups said this is a win, while people supporting abortion rights consider it a major loss.
“Hopefully, we continue to work towards legal protection of the newborn," Scott Mahurin with Florida Pre-Born Rescue said.
Lindsay Polega with the Reproductive Rights Committee disagrees.
“Women are terrified," Polega said.
She said this month has been confusing and scary for women in Florida, but Mahurin feels differently.
“The ultimate goal of the pro-life movement has always been to ban abortion completely,” Mahurin said.
It's a touchy topic as people across the country have strong opinions about abortion legislation.
After six weeks of pregnancy, women in Florida do have to travel out of state if they decide to seek abortion care. Whether that is good or bad—that's where opinions differ.
“It's bad. I mean the closest place we have to send some of these women is far in the Northeast or out to Colorado. For most women, that's not a viable option," Doctor Lara Hart with the American College of OBGYN said.
Dr. Hart and Polega said this disproportionately affects low-income families.
“That is a lot of time off work and a lot of expenses for people,” Polega said.
Mahurin looks at it through a different lens.
“A lot of women regret their abortion. A lot of women wish they had someone to help them,” he said.
Mahurin said they are working to provide women with resources and information to steer them away from abortions.
“We don’t want women to feel alone. We do not want women to feel desperate and be driven to do desperate things,” he said.
“That is not a decision for politicians or your neighbor or your dentist or tattoo artist," Polega said. "That is a decision for you and your doctor.”
There is an amendment on the November ballot to allow abortion access in Florida until fetal liability, which is usually around 24 weeks. Both sides of the aisle are spreading awareness about it to convince you to either vote for or against it.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
The State of Florida and the VA are under scrutiny after the Baker Act was used incorrectly on a young veteran who went to a Florida VA hospital for help.
