Do Floridians support a proposed amendment to protect abortion until viability (around 23-24 weeks)? Citizens casting a ballot in November get a chance to voice their opinion.
WUSF reporter Stephanie Colombini speaks with WUSF's Matthew Peddie, host of "Florida Matters" and the podcast "Our Changing State," to explore details on this polarizing issue.
Colombini untangles some of these newly enforced regulations.
“As of May 1, a six-week ban on abortions is in place, meaning when a person is six weeks pregnant...starting from the date of their last period, they can no longer access an abortion legally in Florida,” Colombini said.
Special cases are also accounted for.
“There are some exceptions to that — up to 15 weeks of pregnancy for a survivor of rape, incest or human trafficking, provided that person provides documentation of the assault," Colombini said. "There are exceptions for fatal fetal abnormalities up until the third trimester. So (in) the first two trimesters, you can do that when doctors verify that there's an abnormality, and then also really up until the last minute, for mothers or the pregnant person to protect their (own) life if they're in serious danger.”
Doctors are in a tough spot
It hasn’t been long since the six-week ban went into effect, and doctors are struggling to navigate their actions as these exception cases are tested in real life, she said. The state did provide some clarity on the law earlier this summer about some of the health conditions that would qualify for the exception.
“I've heard from some doctors that (the clarifications are) not enough. It's still really murky," Colombini said.
That includes when applying the law's rape and incest exception, she said.
“I’ve heard it’s really difficult because not every person who does survive an assault like that is able to go to law enforcement to get a restraining order, or report it to the hospital and get a medical record because there's safety concerns, or there's trauma they're still processing, or they're in an abusive situation,” Colombini said.
Public awareness level is troubling
Colombini discussed a recent survey of Floridians from KFF, a health policy research and news organization. It found that many didn't know about the legal status of abortion.
About a third of respondents said they wouldn't know if they needed an abortion tomorrow, where to go, how to get one, and whether they could legally get one.
"So there's definitely a lack of awareness," Colombini said.
This is partly attributed to how quickly Florida's abortion laws have evolved. Florida followed federal protections until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 in what is known as the Dobbs decision. That returned oversight of abortion laws to individual states.
Florida had already passed a 15-week ban, and subsequently a six-week ban, which took effect May 1.
Colombini said traveling out of state or using telemedicine to access abortion services are some measures people are taking during this time of uncertainty.
“It can be a really stressful situation for people who are pregnant right now, even those who desire the pregnancy, because they're just not sure they'll be able to get the healthcare they need if something goes wrong,” Colombini said.
'Do your research'
How can voters make an informed decision?
“Do your research," Colombini said. "Learn what's going on right now with Florida's abortion restrictions. Talk to doctors and people in your life who maybe are pregnant or have recently had a baby, and what that experience was like.
"Keep an open mind. And you have to ask yourself again, really, where do you stand on abortion?"
Colombini urges voters to consider the broader impact of their decision.
“Just think about a pregnant person you might know who, for whatever reason, might need to access one. Do you want them to be able to do so after six weeks? Vote yes. If you're concerned and you don't, vote no. And that's kind of where we're at.”
Florida voters will be able to weigh in on Amendment 4 during the general election, which ends Nov. 5
