I’ve lived in South Carolina my entire life, so it wasn’t a shock to me that the state would do things how most conservative states do — anything and everything they can to ban abortions. As a woman, that’s terrifying. What’s more terrifying is that lately the state seems to always be in limbo about the rights, so how are we supposed to know what’s illegal and what’s not?
Your Current South Carolina Abortion Laws
As of now, it is legal to get an abortion in South Carolina if you are 21 weeks and six days pregnant or less. If you are unsure how far along you are, check the date of your last period. This information comes straight from abortionfinder.org, where you can find the latest and most up to date information about your abortion rights in any state.
Abortion Rights For Those Under Age 17
If you are under the age of 17 and you’re seeking an abortion, you will need permission from a parent/guardian. If you don’t have the option of permission from a parent/guardian, you can seek judicial bypass. A judicial bypass will allow you to waive the parental permission requirement. Visit this link to find more information on a judicial bypass.
Abortion Rights For Those More Than 21 Weeks and 6 Days Pregnant
Sadly, you have no rights to an abortion in South Carolina if you are more than 21 weeks and 6 days pregnant. However, there are exceptions in the state: rape/incest situations, bodily harm to the pregnant person, and/or bodily harm to the fetus. If you do not qualify for any of the exceptions, it is legal to receive an abortion outside of South Carolina. Some states might require a waiting period of a series of appointments before the procedure, so you’ll have to make sure you’re aware of all of that beforehand.
Are There Any Abortion Laws In Court?
The short answer is yes, there are current abortion laws being proposed in the state of South Carolina. Not long after Roe v. Wade was overturned the state decided to get moving with their abortion-banning lawmaking. If this law were to go into effect — which it has not — it would ban any and all abortions after six weeks. This bill was proposed on June 27 of this year — only 3 days after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
It’s very scary to think that you might not be able to get an abortion in the state you’ve lived in your whole life. In some situations, many might not even realize that they are pregnant until after six weeks. Personally, I don’t get a menstrual cycle anymore due to birth control, so there’s no way that I would know unless I took a test.
What Do I Think About The Matter?
My personal opinion on the matter is that as long as it is safe for the one who is pregnant, abortion should be allowed. Safe abortions should not be banned because like most laws, many will break them. However, this isn’t a situation such as underage drinking or speeding — this can mean life or death for some women. This can also mean rising poverty levels as well as rising populations for foster care facilities.
It’s disheartening that as a country we are going backward in time instead of forward. With Covid-19, the plethora of mass shootings, and the many human rights movements that we’ve had lately, we should be headed towards progression. Instead, we live in a world where if you are not a white, heterosexual, cis man, you have to fight for your rights as hard as you can.