Lub dub. Lub dub. That was all senior Stephanie Bernal could focus on as she was getting her ultrasound.
“It was so nice seeing my baby and the nurse telling me it was a boy,” she said. “I could hear him move inside my belly and the sound of his heart beating.”
While she is extremely happy with her new child, there are many who cannot handle the responsibility as a high school student. One option many choose is abortion, but for Bernal, abortion was never something she considered. She knew that her baby was going to stay with her.
“I was scared at first because no teenager wants to be a mom so young,” said Bernal. “But I never wanted to get rid of him because it was a life inside of me and I couldn’t do that.”
The Human Heartbeat Protection Act, which was passed by the Arkansas Senate on Jan. 31, bans abortions once the doctor can detect the fetus’ heartbeat, which can be as early as five weeks into the pregnancy. The law would make exceptions for rape, incest, and when the health of the mother is in danger. Sophomore Hadley Apple is an advocate of this proposal.
“If the mother knew about the baby and really wanted it aborted, she should have made the decision before it got a heartbeat,” said Apple. “It’s a big decision, but if she knew and really wanted to she should have done it ASAP.”
The biggest conflict surrounding the new proposal is the challenge it presents against the Roe v. Wade court case, which gave women the right to privacy. The case stated that abortion is legal until viability, which means the fetus can survive outside the mother’s womb, even with artificial aid. This usually occurs around 28 weeks, but can be as early as 24 weeks. Junior Blair Breazeale supports a woman’s right to privacy.
“I believe that the woman should have full control over her body,” said Breazeale. “The state should not intervene on such personal manners.”
The proposal has passed the Arkansas Senate and is now in the Arkansas House for review. Another bill was created and passed by the Arkansas House Public Health Committee that would prevent abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Recently Governor Beebe vetoed this bill, but on Feb. 27, the Arkansas House chose to override the governor’s veto.
While Debate coach and Oral Communications teacher Ta-Neisha Marshall does not have a personal stand on the issue of abortion, she is disappointed with the details of the act and the five-week limit.
“I feel it is unreasonable to limit women’s rights over their health and well-being at such an early stage in a pregnancy,” said Coach Marshall. “Most doctors don’t really begin to seriously medically treat you until you’ve passed the first trimester, unless you have a history of miscarriages or are a high risk pregnancy.”
The Human Heartbeat Protection Act is still up for debate in the House, and no official statement or decision has been made. The biggest challenge is the constitutionality of this act.
“I believe it is purely a moral/value issue,” said Coach Marshall. “And for a case like this, I think it shows a lack of reasonable individual freedoms, while insulting the intelligence and integrity of women.”