Southwest Florida – A new lawA ban on abortion after 15 weeks takes effect in Florida on Friday.
There are currently several ways for women to terminate a pregnancy, prevent it, or save the baby. Opponents of the law say it will hurt the mother and encourage them to seek help for abortions in another state.
Lawyers in Florida say they expect more women to look for options before the law goes into effect on Friday.
“In terms of operation, Planned Parenthood in Florida can still provide abortion assistance for up to 15 weeks,” said Stephanie Frame, CEO of Planned Parenthood in Southwest and Central Florida.
She says that even with the new law they will continue to provide abortion pills prescribed by doctors. Planned Parenthood is an organization that supports abortion rights.
“People seek help for abortions at different times and for different reasons during pregnancy,” Freim explained.
She added that about 80 percent of women come to planned parenting before the 15-week mark.
“We do not recommend or perform abortions at Pregnancy Solutions because ultimately we do not believe this is the right move for our clients,” said Jacqueline Health, CEO of Pregnancy Solutions.
Pregnancy Solutions is an anti-abortion organization that says its mission, even with the new law, will continue to focus on adoption and child support.
“We come together and say, ‘Hey, there are a lot of organizations in our cities that really want to be around you and be part of raising a healthy child,'” Zdruyev said.
Fram says Planned Parenthood does the same.
“When someone comes to us, especially with a pregnancy, they get a full education about what they have,” she said.
When it comes to preventing pregnancy, Planned Parenthood provides contraceptives such as condoms, and helps women gain birth control.
There are services available without a prescription such as Plan B, also known as morning after pills.
Regnancy Solutions uses a different approach.
“There’s really only one safe way to prevent pregnancy in our book, and that’s abstinence,” Health said.
She said for women at Pregnancy Solutions in the service sector little will change, but they expect an influx of families. Planned Parenthood expects more people to travel outside the state to get help.
The ban on abortion could end if a Florida judge makes a decision. Opponents of abortion have filed a lawsuit to suspend the law.
