From hospitals to doctors' offices, the frantic questions women are asking about Florida's new abortion law

On May 1, reproductive care in Florida will change.

Anyone more than six weeks pregnant will be prohibited by law from getting an abortion.

Obstetricians who work privately, or on a hospital staff, already are fielding questions from patients, while also trying to understand the effect on their practices. A wrong call could lead to criminal charges — for a woman or a doctor.

There are exceptions to the new abortion law. A woman in Florida can get an abortion after six weeks if two physicians certify, in writing, that it is necessary to save her life or to prevent serious injury. Also, abortions will be allowed through 15 weeks if the pregnancy is caused by rape or incest. In those cases, the woman has to show documentation such as a medical record, restraining order or a police report.

For the last two years, abortion has been legal in Florida through 15 weeks. Florida lawmakers put that restriction into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, which had protected the right to have an abortion. Before that, abortions were legal in Florida through 24 weeks.

In Florida, a waiting period is in effect, too. Anyone who wants an abortion has to wait 24 hours after an initial doctor’s visit before returning to undergo a procedure.

Over the next few months, the nuances of the new six-week ban will play out. Women who face complications during pregnancy will face new challenges. Here are some of the medical questions women are asking:

Q. How will six weeks be calculated?

A. Florida measures gestational age from the last menstrual period. So, for women who have consistency in their periods — every 28 days — it would be two weeks after a missed period. But as doctors point out, not every woman is consistent. “A lot of women have cycle that vary from 21 to 35 days,” said Dr. Cecilia Grande, a Miami OB-GYN with FemWell Group Health. “Some will skip a month, and that’s just normal for them.”

OB-GYNs will do ultrasounds to help figure out how many weeks the gestational duration is in the pregnancy, and then try to confirm the results with the dating by last menstrual period. During the scan, a sonographer takes specific measurements of the pregnancy.

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