Louisiana became the next state likely to pass a “heartbeat bill” this week, aiming to ban abortion as soon as a “fetal heartbeat” is detected. This provision amounts to a near total ban on abortion, as such activity can be heard as early as six weeks—before many woman are even aware they’re pregnant.
The terms “heartbeat bill” and “fetal heartbeat” themselves are misnomers, phrases coined by conservative politicians to create the illusion of a child in need of protection, says Planned Parenthood, since a heart has yet to form at six weeks; the detected rhythm is electrical activity coming from a 4-millimeter-wide growth called the fetal pole.
