Abortion. It’s a difficult topic to talk about, but one that continually needs to be discussed. Recently, there’s been a lot of buzz going on about Ohio, specifically because a piece of legislature that was trying to be passed involved a six-week abortion ban, better known as the Heartbeat Bill.

What does this mean? Well, it means that any woman cannot receive a legal abortion after the sixth week of her pregnancy or when a heartbeat is detected in the embryo, which usually occurs around the sixth week. The piece of legislature includes incidents of incest or rape, but with the exception of the woman’s life being in danger due to the pregnancy. Most women, at this point, don’t even know they’re pregnant.

Not only is this ban taking away the rights women should have and deserve over their own bodies, but also going to cause a domino effect that will cause many women to be forced into doing things they don’t necessarily want to do, such as going to a different state to get an abortion or getting an abortion through the black market.

Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health services, is known for providing women with abortions. There’s a big misconception here. Not only does this organization provide legal and safe abortions to those who think they need it, but also provides birth control, STD testing, and, but not limited to, other women health services. Planned parenthood provides services to millions of men and women a year; however, with a bill such as the Heartbeat Bill, a huge target is put on the organization’s back.

“This bill could take away a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions before she would have known she had a decision to make,” commented the Planned Parenthood organization in an article by NPR, National Public Radio.

The article also included a statement from Iris Harvey, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

“Not only is this shameful, but it’s dangerous for women,” stated Harvey.

The Heartbeat Bill was ultimately vetoed by the Governor of Ohio, a former 2016 presidential candidate, John Kasich. However, he did sign off on a 20-week abortion ban that has the same exceptions and limits as the 6-week ban.

“Kasich is on a mission to make abortion illegal in Ohio, and he’s intent on using smoke and mirrors and backdoor politics to do it,” stated Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in an article for cleveland.com.

On the contrary, the Ohio Right to Life organization made a statement in the same article for cleveland.com.

“By signing S.B. 127, the 20-week ban, Governor Kasich will save hundreds of unborn lives each year, and he positioned the state of Ohio to directly challenge Roe v. Wade. …It challenges the current national abortion standard and properly moves the legal needle from viability to the baby’s ability to feel pain.”

Proving to be a controversial topic among Americans, the subject of abortion continues to resurface, and in this case, it has made its appearance in Ohio. Americans need to remain vigilant when it comes to movements in our nation to overturn abortion rights for women. This most recent legislation should serve as a wake up call for that awareness.