Arizona abortion ban: What you need to know - BBC News

The state supreme court reinstated an abortion law from 1864. What will that mean for Arizonians?

4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The 1864 law has raised questions on the legality of abortion in ArizonaBy Nadine YousifBBC NewsOn Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a law from 1864 that bans nearly all abortions in the state.

The 160-year-old law - which predates Arizona becoming a US state - makes performing an abortion punishable by two to five years in prison, except when the mother's life is at risk.

Questions have emerged since about what it means for the legality of abortion in Arizona now and in the future.

Several things remain uncertain, but here's what we know:

The law, enacted before Arizona became a state in 1912, bars abortion from the moment of conception, except when necessary to save the life of the mother. It does not allow exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68781816

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