Abortion bans are total, period. Many states that ban abortions offer exceptions for rape or incest. But only on paper; in practice, rape victims can’t get abortions in those states.
An advocacy group says rape and incest exceptions “are just marketing” by anti-abortion politicians (read story here). A combination of other restrictions and no abortion doctors makes the exceptions inaccessible in those states.
A Montana doctor says, “I’m not aware of any single instance of a survivor of rape who is pregnant being able to get an abortion in a state with an abortion ban under one of these exceptions.” Even if a victim qualifies under the exception,“Who are they going to call?,” he says. “There are no abortion providers in those states anymore. That’s the beginning and end of the story.”
An example of restrictions is Idaho requiring a rape victim to give the doctor a police report first. If the police drag their feet, or don’t provide the report, she can’t get the abortion. Most other states with exceptions similarly require victims to jump through time-consuming and traumatizing hoops.
It’s not a glitch in the laws. Many abortion opponents don’t want any abortions, under any circumstances, and “tolerate” exception clauses only to get the laws passed. They’re fine with nobody being able to access abortions under the exception clauses.
Planned Parenthood believes those extra requirements are intended to nullify the exceptions. In some states, anti-abortion legislators don’t even bother to include exceptions.
While data are elusive, one study suggests about 1 in 8 rapes results in pregnancy. Traveling to another state often isn’t possible for minors, women trapped in abusive relationships, or those in poverty.
Sen. J. D. Vance, Trump’s 2024 running mate, goes farther than banning all abortions nationwide; he wants to force women into marriage, motherhood, and housewife roles, whether they want to live that way or not.
Trump, on the campaign trail, is telling voters he’s against a national abortion ban, and it should be up to states. But he has a history of lying and flip-flopping. Even if he’s sincere, if the visibly aging Trump doesn’t complete a second term and Vance becomes president, it’s Vance’s policies that will get signed into law, if Congress passes the laws.
