Gov. Nikki Haley has signed a bill banning abortions in South Carolina after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Last week, the South Carolina House approved the bill, causing major pushback from the abortion lobby.
The bill contains exceptions if the health of the mother is in danger, or if the baby cannot survive outside of the womb. Twelve other states currently have similar bans in place.
Second trimester abortions are painful, gruesome procedures for the preborn child. The procedure most prevalently used during this time is a dilation and evacuation, or D&E, abortion. Former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino details the procedure in the following video:
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One of the reasons 20-week abortion bans have become more prevalent is because medical advancements have allowed doctors and scientists to determine more about children in the womb, including the fact that they are able to feel pain.
Dr. Jean A. Wright gave the following testimony before a Congressional subcommittee on the subject, testifying that preborn children can, in fact, feel pain.
After 20 weeks of gestation, an unborn child has all the prerequisite anatomy, physiology, hormones, neurotransmitters, and electrical current to ‘close the loop’ and create the conditions needed to perceive pain.
The development of the perception of pain begins at the sixth week of life. By 20 weeks, and perhaps even earlier, all the essential components of anatomy, physiology, and neurobiology exist to transmit painful sensations from the skin to the spinal cord and to the brain.
Another doctor, Maureen Condic, gave similar testimony before Congress:
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In addition to the scientific evidence, 20-week abortion bans are seen very favorably by the American public. Eighty-four percent of Americans would ban abortion after the first trimester, and even the majority of Americans who identify as “pro-choice” agree with banning abortions in the second trimester.
Women also support these bans in higher numbers than men do. The United States is also one of only a few countries in the world to allow late-term abortions.
