Judge Tom Lee of the US District Court blocked enforcement Friday of a Mississippi law that would effectively make second trimester abortions unavailable in the state. The court injunction came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, one of only two clinics in Mississippi that perform second trimester abortions. The law would have required that abortions after the 12th week of gestation be performed in hospitals or outpatient surgical facilities that meet certain facility requirements. The Center for Reproductive Rights reports that nearly 400 women per year in Mississippi seek second trimester abortions. Critics of the new law claim that it would make it extremely difficult for women in Mississippi to obtain second-trimester abortions, placing an additional burden on these women by forcing them to seek these services out of state or to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Judge Lee found that the state “knew that the effect of the amendment would be to make second-trimester abortions unavailable in MississippiÉ [with the] effect of unduly burdening a woman’s right to choose an abortion,” according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. LEARN MORE Click here to read women’s narratives about barriers or successes in accessing reproductive health and family planning services. DONATE to protect the right to a safe, legal abortion
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