Abortion law in Florida soon will change. Here’s what you need to know.

On Friday, a new law is set to go into effect in Florida that will change the length of time during a pregnancy that abortions are legal in the state.

While Florida previously allowed the procedure up to 24 weeks, the new law will restrict abortions past 15 weeks with exceptions for life endangerment, but not for rape, incest or human trafficking.

The law faces legal challenges, with a state judge on Thursday calling it unconstitutional. But the law soon could still take effect: Leon Circuit Judge John Cooper said his ruling only would go in force after he issues a written order — and that wasn’t expected to happen before Friday.

Here’s what you need to know.

Is abortion still legal in Florida after July 1?

Abortion remains legal in Florida. For now.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, each state now has the power to restrict or ban abortion. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis already had approved the 15-week abortion ban on April 15, to take effect on July 1.

This week, Planned Parenthood clinics reported they have been scrambling to provide abortions to desperate women at or past 15 weeks of pregnancy.

How does the law calculate 15 weeks?

The bill defines the legal time frame as 15 weeks from the first day of a person’s last normal menstrual period. Anyone who seeks an abortion must get a sonogram that determines how far along they are in pregnancy. Doctors say accuracy tends to be within five to 10 days.

Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said copies of sonograms are required to be placed into a patient’s file and spot checks are conducted by Florida’s Agency For Healthcare Administration, which regulates abortion clinics.

Some women have irregular periods, while others have medical conditions or contraceptive methods that give them irregular periods. Those circumstances make it more likely for them to get to 15 weeks without knowing they are pregnant, says Dr. Maureen Whelihan.

“Patients are not as savvy about their reproductive health as one might think they should be. Now there will be a burden on them to be smarter earlier on,” said Whelihan, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Elite GYN Care of the Palm Beaches.

What type of situations do the exemptions in the 15-week ban allow for?

The new law allows abortions after 15 weeks only if two doctors sign off that the termination of a pregnancy is necessary to save the mother from death or serious injury, or if the fetus has a “fatal fetal abnormality.” An abnormality — usually revealed in the second trimester — is defined by the state as a condition that will result in death at birth or immediately after regardless of attempts to save the newborn’s life.

Dr. Daniel N. Sacks, an obstetrician-gynecologist in West Palm Beach, said it likely will be difficult to get two doctors to sign off, and it will put doctors at risk. “One of the two could argue you are wrong and that opens to door for the state to prosecute you,” he said.

“The ban will not prevent women from getting abortions,” Sacks said. “It will just create obstacles and expenses. If this is the option you choose after 15 weeks, you will have to go to a different state — if you have the resources.”

Will medication abortions be legal in Florida after 15 weeks?

There are two types of abortions: surgical and medication. A medication abortion — a regimen of two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol — must be used before 11 weeks of pregnancy.

Medication abortions have become more widely available since December 2021, when the FDA lifted restrictions on where they can be dispensed. In Florida, the pills will continue to be available at abortion clinics and the law requires a patient to take their first one in front of a doctor.

Dr. Sacks said abortion pills are not be prescribed in Florida after 15 weeks and they present a health risk to women that far along in pregnancy.

What type of counseling do women receive before an abortion and how will that change?

Florida requires in-person counseling on the nature and risks of the procedure 24 hours in advance of getting an abortion.

While that won’t change, what will be different is the counseling women get when they learn of an abnormality with their fetus. Those types of abnormalities include genetic, such as Down’s Syndrome, and physical, such as cardiac or spinal defects.

Perinatologist Dr. Cole Greves, who specializes in treating complex prenatal disorders, said he still will counsel women on their options, but he will need to explain that they will have to travel outside the state if they want to terminate their pregnancy.

What type of fetal abnormalities surface after 15 weeks?

Amniocentesis, ultrasounds and blood tests reveal abnormalities in a fetus during the second trimester. There is no exemption in Florida’s law for serious but nonlethal conditions that arise after 15 weeks of gestation.

So far in 2022, 263 women terminated their pregnancies in Florida due to a serious fetal genetic defect, deformity or abnormality, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration. Of those, 68% were in their second trimester.

Greves said he foresees more patients doing diagnostic blood tests earlier in their pregnancy and opting for the slightly more risky placenta biopsy at 10½ to 13½ weeks to determine a fetus’ health instead of the traditional amniocentesis, usually done at 16 weeks.

How many women likely will Florida’s new law affect?

Only a small percentage of women traditionally have abortions during the second semester. Most of them reporter their reasons as social/economic or because of a serious fetal abnormality.

Florida health records show in 2021, about 75,000 abortions occurred in the first trimester, or the first 12 to 13 weeks of pregnancy, compared with 4,850 in the second trimester. In 2022, already 30,707 abortions occurred in the first trimester, compared with 2,675 in the second trimester.

Can women more than 15 weeks legally travel to other states for abortions?

Florida’s Planned Parenthood branches and other reproductive rights organizations already are preparing to help with the costs to fly patients from Florida to other states if they are more than 15 weeks pregnant and want an abortion.

There are currently no laws to prosecute women who cross state lines to seek an abortion. However, states could try in the future.

What other restrictions does Florida have on abortions?

As of April, Florida also requires that a woman seeking abortion wait 24 hours after an initial doctor’s visit before returning to a clinic to undergo the procedure. That means two required visits, which has added to the volume at Florida clinics.

For minors, Florida has laws in place requiring that the young women notify at least one parent 48 hours before an abortion and obtain consent from a parent or a legal waiver from a judge.

Is there any chance Florida’s new law will get shot down in the courts and the state will allow abortions again after 15 weeks?

Florida’s 15-week ban is facing two lawsuits, one from a group of Planned Parenthood affiliates and independent providers, and another from a Palm Beach County synagogue.

The lawsuits will continue regardless of the 15-week ban going into effect on July 1.

If any lawsuits were to make their way to the Florida Supreme Court, the court would need to overturn more than three decades of precedent regarding privacy rights in order to deem the new abortion restrictions legal. Constitutional lawyers in the state seem to agree that the possibility that the court could overturn the longstanding precedent isn’t out of the question.

Could Florida become a state where abortion is completely banned?

The abortion landscape in Florida and the rest of the country will be evolving as legal challenges arise and courts and lawmakers weigh in.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade on June 24, and said he would now work to expand the state’s restrictions on abortion access. The next scheduled legislative session is in March 2023, but the governor could call a special legislative session sooner.

Do you need to be a U.S. citizen to get an abortion in Florida?

You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to get an abortion in Florida and that will not change under the new law. In fact, many women travel to the state from the Caribbean and Latin America.

Abortion providers said they must provide state health officials with the patient’s county of residence but there is an option to check “out of state.”

Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com, or Twitter @cindykgoodman.