Further limits on abortion are devastating

I am writing in response to reporting by Skyler Swisher and Caroline Catherman in the Orlando Sentinel about the six-week abortion ban proposed this week (“GOP Florida lawmakers seek to ban abortion after 6 weeks,” March 8). A six-week ban will devastate women’s health and lives, as the 15-week ban has already demonstrated.

As pointed out in the article, the 15-week ban passed last year is awaiting a Florida Supreme Court hearing. Passing another ban before a decision in that court case is imprudent, especially when many issues face Floridians today, including rising property insurance premiums.

A lawsuit was filed this week in Texas by five women harmed by the six-week abortion ban, one nearly dying from sepsis before care was provided. Pregnancy should not be a possible death sentence. We must not let legislators make healthcare decisions for our families.

Forced pregnancy will have many negative impacts on Florida and Floridians, including:

The inability to choose when to have children will have life-long harmful impacts on women’s economic stability and health (mental and physical).

It will deter young adults from moving to Florida for jobs and motivate some young adults to find employment in other states, leading to a brain-drain effect.

Women with the least in our communities will have no options and bear the brunt of the financial and health impacts.

A further ban on abortion harms pregnant people and families, will cost lives and must be loudly opposed.

Ginger (Virginia) Mundy