The divisive law – which came into effect on 1 September – bans abortion after what some refer to as a foetal heartbeat. The law makes an exception for cases of medical emergency, but not for rape or incest. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that at six weeks a foetus has not yet developed a heartbeat, but rather an “electronically induced” flickering of tissues that will become the heart. The Texas law is enforced by given individuals – from Texas or elsewhere – the right to sue doctors who perform an abortion past the six-week mark.
