"Six weeks pregnant" does NOT mean, six weeks after you find out you're pregnant

[bigtree]

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell 29m
Just in case you didn't know, "six weeks pregnant" does NOT mean:

--six weeks after you find out you're pregnant, or
--six weeks after conception.

"Six weeks pregnant" means six weeks after the start of your last period.

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell 29m
So at the (unknowable) moment of conception, you are already 2-3 weeks pregnant.

The earliest you can possibly know you're pregnant (if you're paying very close attention and have a short cycle) is 4/4.5 weeks.

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell 29m
If you have a long cycle or aren't keeping careful track of your period, you don't realize until 5-7 weeks.

This is before morning sickness kicks in for the vast vast majority of women.

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell 29m
So if you see a movie or TV show where someone finds out they're pregnant because they unexpectedly vomit, that would be too late for them to get in abortion in Texas.

"Six week abortion ban" does not mean someone has six weeks to end a pregnancy.

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell 29m
It means someone has either days to terminate, or that it's too late to terminate.

That is all.

thread:

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❄️ ApothecaryJeri 🇺🇸 💛🐝 @ApothecaryJeri
Or take a pregnancy test every time you have sex ?? the burden on women - psychologically, emotionally, physically and financially is god damn NEVER ending.

[leftieNanner]

1. And now that SCOTUS has approved

Every Republican controlled state will enact a duplicate law.

This is horrifying.

[Mad_Machine76]

5. SCOTUS has not approved

It just hasn't done *anything* yet. It hasn't blocked it yet, which allows it to go into effect, but it hasn't formally ruled that the law is acceptable. The situation sucks but let's be clear about what has (and hasn't) happened here.

[Hekate]

9. Rachel was explaining the nature of what's called a "shadow docket" at SCOTUS...

That’s what they did. Their lack of choice was a choice. Their lack of comment was to silently assent.

Rachel says this does not formally overturn Roe — yet. For that they are waiting for a case coming up from Mississippi in a matter of months.

[Native]

17. And they aren't expected to rule immediately after that case. It could be well into 2022.

[leftieNanner]

18. That was my understanding as well

Not responding to the request from NARAL was, in a way, a response.

Let's hope that this causes a lot of unforeseen problems for the Texas Republicans.

[Sogo]

36. "Let's hope that this causes a lot of unforeseen problems for the Texas Republicans."

Excellent point.

Women unite and vote those suckers out!!

[mrsadm]

27. To what case in Mississipi do you refer?

thx

[leftieNanner]

37. SCOTUS agreed to take a case for next term

I don't recall the specific name - but it's a direct full challenge to Roe.

Texas couldn't wait for that one, so they passed their own toxic law.

[Hekate]

38. Sorry, I have no idea other than Rachel was referring to it in conjunction w the TX case...

It is another draconian anti-abortion bill, and apparently is the one that the RW justices have been waiting for to finish off Roe.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. A big, fat K&R!

[no_hypocrisy]

3. What's next? Making it illegal to sell home pregnancy tests

so you can't test yourself every month?

[temporary311]

4. Along with outlawing birth control

[jaxexpat]

14. If I read correctly, one test per month won't do it. I think they'll sell by the case.

Door to door sales? Costco? I guess you'd need to test every day that there's an egg in the express lane.

Which makes me wonder. Will there be some universally accepted verification of period starting? Some thing the court could recognize so they'd know when to start the counting. Sex just got a lot more complicated..........for women.

[Lonestarblue]

22. According to the law, the doctor must determine the date of the last period and record it.

The bill has several requirements for the medical provider to keep a complete, fairly intrusive record of every test (and certain tests are specified) and every date for any treatment or procedure. I assume these files can then be subpoenaed by the vigilante filing a lawsuit to prove that the provider did an abortion at 6 1/2 weeks instead of 6 weeks. Abortion providers simply will not take that risk and thus no abortion for anyone.

In addition to prohibiting most abortions, this bill requires doctors to lie to women by telling them the following:

(i) the risks of infection and hemorrhage;
(ii) potential danger to a subsequent pregnancy and infertility;and
(iii) the possibility of increased risk of breast cancer following an induced abortion and the natural protective effect of a completed pregnancy in avoiding breast cancer;

There is no correlation between abortion and infertility or cancer. Of course, Texas abortion providers are essentially out of business as of today, but the fact that lies are part of a law is truly galling. The next attack is already coming. The legislature is getting ready to pass a bill banning medical abortions and preventing the pills from being mailed in Texas. After that, I suspect all birth control products will be on the agenda.

[jaxexpat]

55. I find this extremely distressing. It is totalitarianism. The worst sort of terrorism.

Being a fellow who sees abortion as a subject that should only be discussed between a woman and their physician, I hold that ALL others need to leave it alone as they are not naturally endowed with a valid interest or right to interfere. Any opinion to the contrary is ridiculously obvious to be a naked grab for power for its own sake. Theirs is not a moral stand but a contemptible attitude suitable to no person of good intent. Any other stance supports the concept of women as chattle, slaves with less right to personal sovereignty due to their gender. Should this attitude stand, there is no place where justice reigns and our civilizations are pathetic charades put on by apes to entertain the monkeys.

[treestar]

6. How can doctors confirm it?

Most of the time it could not be proven when the exact 6 week date is, right?

[Tiger8]

11. Who wants to be a Defendent in a dragged out lawsuit?

Just the vagueness of that date of conception, opens everybody involved to having their lives ruined.

Dragging a baseless lawsuit out for years will ruin in your life.

Loan applications ask, "Are you currently a defendant in a civil or criminal legal action?" Assets and income at risk. Mortgages and car loans will carry a higher interest rate - if not outright denied. Plenty of right wing groups to cover plaintiff expenses and work involved in managing the lawsuit.

The goal? Make the expense/hassle/trauma of being a defendant in a civil lawsuit so onerous, that no doctor will perform an abortion.

[Hortensis]

25. Most times tests done close to 4 weeks will show positive.

I checked. More sensitive tests for earlier testing may also be available -- or will be!, but I didn't check that far. But medical professionals who choose to will alter their procedures to diagnose and complete treatment for unwanted pregnancy before six weeks.

Most conscientious females will tighten up their own monitoring and responses while this continues, but the key word is conscientious, of course. There's a lot less extra time for discovery and decision.

In any case, the abortion pill could normally be legally prescribed and used in a very short time and is almost always effective. If I had a young daughter I'd want her pre-established with a physician who'd always have it on hand, in case of "supply" problems developed.

[treestar]

47. thanks, I was thinking that too

that doctors will be able to get around it - though that is still wrong, as it leaves the decision in the end to them.

[Hortensis]

52. Yeah, but private providers always had the choice of what services they'd provide.

It'll still be the patient's decision, but seriously more important to get a provider lined up ahead of time.

Until we fix this. Or SCOTUS "fixed" it by repealing Roe altogether and TX outlawed abortion altogether.

If it gets that far, it'll take years to legalize abortion again, but nearly 80% want at least some reasonable access now. And that's before the horrors of illegal abortion would firm up views weakened by the noise from extremists on both sides.

[sl8]

44. The law goes by fetal heartbeat

Although I think it's actually still an embryo, not a fetus, at that point.

More specifics in the law, here:
https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB8/id/2395961

[treestar]

58. thank you

looking at it directly - it is scary stuff.

[gollygee]

51. They can't tell to the exact day but they do give you a good date pretty early. nt

[snowybirdie]

7. I wonder just what's the back log

in Civil Courts in Texas? Most populous places have filled dockets with all manner of cases. Sometimes people have to wait several years for a case to come to trial. I'm guessing that those vigilantes who try to sue and collect under this law, will get tired of waiting for trials and tired of abortion helpers ignoring judgements. Hopefully, this time delay will help change this awful choice situation in Texas and elsewhere.

[bem6207]

8. I was almost 9 weeks pregnant before finding out. Doc did not schedule sonogram until 17 weeks...

My friend was a very depressed and sad being. She dated a guy who was an extreme narcissistic sociopath. She wasn't the type who took up for him, she was a teenager who endured traumatic loss year after year and truly believed she deserved the treatment.

One day, she took a pregnancy test and it was positive. This is weird to say, but she loved that baby so much she got an abortion because she could not fathom the idea of that piece of shit being the father and knew she wouldn't be the mother the baby deserved.

The abortion changed her life around for the better, she got sober, finished college, and established a career.

Today, she is happily married with a precious baby, and probably one of the best mother's I have ever seen.

[IronLionZion]

10. Texas might see lots more Dem babies being born

who will grow up to vote Dem. Time to flip Texas blue

[moose65]

12. That's what I've often wondered about laws like this

When they say "6 weeks pregnant" I've often wondered how you can tell. Forgive my ignorance, but it seems to me that it is pretty much impossible to pinpoint the exact moment when a pregnancy occurs. It's an estimate, at best.

What does the actual text of this law say? And I'm sure it doesn't mention the man who is responsible for the pregnancy.

[sl8]

21. Text:

https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB8/id/2395961/Texas-2021-SB8-Enrolled.html

S.B. No. 8

AN ACT relating to abortion, including abortions after detection of an unborn child's heartbeat; authorizing a private civil right of action.

[iemanja]

13. How do they know when your last period was?

I don't think they do.

[leftieNanner]

19. Carbon 14 dating of tampons?

[Phoenix61]

26. You tell them. nt

[2naSalit]

16. So how can anyone PROVE...

When your last period started? Just wondering. I would be lying about it if I had to.

[leftieNanner]

20. Absolutely!

Before I had children, I thought doctors had a fancy medical way of determining your due date. Turns out they just ask you when you had your last period and calculate from that. Totally unscientific. Both of my children were ten days early.

[localroger]

40. It was still the 60's but this happened to my Mom

My parents knew pretty much the exact date I was conceived for personal reasons but doc insisted on the last period formula and was so convinced I was late he was trying to get them to induce birth early.

[leftieNanner]

41. That's the kind of doctor

Who would pat a woman on the hand after she explained that she was suffering from terrible PMS, and tell her it was all in her head.

My Mom had one of those in about the same time period as yours. She had terrible menopausal hemorrhaging and the doctor told her to just deal with it. Fortunately, she didn't accept his response after years of pain. She went to a different doctor and he practically whisked her into the OR that minute for a hysterectomy.

Why the hell did/do doctors who don't like or respect women get into that line of work?

[Jon King]

23. No exception for rape and incest.

Let that sink in, how utterly twisted and evil these freaks are.

[LisaL]

24. Or fetal deformities.

At six weeks pregnant, women won't know if fetus is deformed anyway.

[PeaceWave]

28. Does the Texas law make it illegal for a citizen of Texas to have an abortion OUTSIDE of Texas?

For instance, if a woman who resides in Texas travels to Canada to have an abortion, will she be arrested for murder upon returning to Texas?

[Jon King]

30. There is no criminal penalty.

The law allows for civil lawsuits from pretty much anyone, there are no criminal penalties imposed by the state.

[gopiscrap]

49. welcome to DU

[Texin]

29. Women (and girls who are capable of conception) are going to have to test for

pregnancy within a few days of having sex or rape, as the case may be, to be able do something about it if they don't wish to bear a child.

I'm past this now, but if I had had to deal with the draconian abortion bans back in the pre-Roe v. Wade era, I seriously would have considered whether to be sterilized or not. And knowing what I do now, and the very real economic hit an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy and birth is, especially for an unmarried woman, I would do whatever I had to to get sterilized.

Frankly, women cannot depend on birth control pills, condoms, etc. -- moreover, a woman can't depend on legislatures from banning birth control too.

I hope the men who have pushed for this never get to have sex with a female a long, long, dry desert of a future. And if they resort to rape, I hope there are enough women who will shoot them with those unlicensed guns they'll have free and legally-supported permission to have now.

[Jon King]

31. Lets be clear, there are no criminal penalties in Texas law.

It allows any private citizen to sue anyone that provides abortion services. There are no criminal penalties for the women.

[Texin]

34. It incentivizes people to rat on women, and think about a jilted ex-boyfriend or

former spouse, or for that matter, a father, brother, uncle, neighbor, etc., etc., from reporting what they know and then seeing that the woman (or girl) is legally punished with prison time.

[leftieNanner]

42. More likely - and more dangerous

Are the Anti-abortion fundies who will be lurking around Women's Health Clinics.

[niyad]

54. But the violation of her privacy and autonomy.

[treestar]

59. At least they knew that wouldn't fly even in a red state

And if the 10K does not come from the woman, but the provider, that still means the providers would have to charge more in case they have to pay it.

[moose65]

32. I read the text of the bill

It's funny, isn't it, that these bills never penalize the pregnant woman. It's always about the doctor, or the facility, or the other people who "helped" her to obtain an abortion. I wonder why these bills never try to punish the actual person who has the abortion? You'd think that THAT would be the main purpose of these bills, but it never is!

[Sogo]

33. "What are you supposed to do, just prophylacticly

take the morning-after pill when every time you have sex?"



You might try hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin....I've heard they're wonder drugs....

[Bettie]

35. So, some dickhead can try to sue people because they think

that Rita Random Woman had an abortion.

Don't they have to prove that the procedure took place? How can they prove that? My doctor won't release my medical records to some random person off the street.

You know how the antivaxxers are always going on about HIPAA? This is where it applies. No one gets to release a woman's medical records without permission. Heck, I had to sign a release to allow my husband to be able to get info.

I don't think that you can sue on the basis of "I think this person might have done a thing...."

[leftieNanner]

43. Oh - I hadn't thought of that!

Good catch. How does anyone know if a woman enters a clinic where abortions are performed - just to get birth control? Or for a pap smear? STD treatment?

Very good thought.

[Bettie]

45. Right...

or will Texas (followed by 5th Circuit and SCOTUS) say that women's medical records are public?

You never know these days.

[leftieNanner]

46. One would hope

that the HIPPA law would stop that.

But these days.............

[Ford_Prefect]

39. The next step will be to restrict or ban legal access to birth control for everyone.

Of course special, double-secret exception will be made for GOP lawmakers.

We will also see a new edition of Texas high school science books eliminating human anatomy and reproduction subjects.

[IcyPeas]

48. men like Abbot will never understand this. I still say women should

send Abbot bloody used tampons.

[niyad]

50. Don't forget that these are the same people who tried to outlaw the morning after pill

and are working on outlawing various forms of contraception.

[Hortensis]

53. Yup, yup, yup! But I read that right now an abortion pill can be

ordered and delivered by mail to telemedicine patients -- in states where it's legal. I'm guessing it would not be in TX.

“The restriction of requiring the first pill of the medical abortion (mifepristone) to be handed to a woman in healthcare provider’s office does nothing to increase the safety of medical abortion."

In any case, the FDA approved that for the duration of the pandemic. No need to visit a doctor or clinic, but it would be best to establish in advance of need with someone who does provide this service. Or have a friend in a state where it's legal do that.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/people-can-now-get-abortion-pills-delivered-at-home-what-to-know#Can-people-in-U.S.-states-restricting-telemedicine-for-abortion-order-the-pills?

[Pachamama]

56. RU-486 (Abortion Pill) or Plan-B Levonorgestrel (Emergency Contraception aka morning after pill) ?

Are often confused and referred to as abortion pills. Plan B prevents hormonally implantation of a fertilized egg. Important difference.

The women of Texas will soon need to have Plan-B everywhere they can on hand like having ibuprofen fora headache or pain.

[Hortensis]

60. :) Yes, another option. But this one is used within the first 70 days

(defined below), which should make it usable (almost?) any time within the legal 6 week period.

Mifeprex is approved, in a regimen with misoprostol, to end a pregnancy through 70 days gestation (70 days or less since the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period). The approved Mifeprex dosing regimen is:

On Day One: 200 mg of Mifeprex taken by mouth
24 to 48 hours after taking Mifeprex: 800 mcg of misoprostol taken buccally (in the cheek pouch), at a location appropriate for the patient
About seven to fourteen days after taking Mifeprex: follow-up with the healthcare provider

[kskiska]

57. Maybe next they'll ban tests altogether.