Idaho has become the second US state this week to enact the 'heartbeat abortion ban' which prohibits terminations once the fetal heartbeat is detected.
The Fetal Heartbeat Preborn Child Protection Act means medical professionals are not allowed to carry out an abortion if the heartbeat can be detected - which can happen as early as five and a half weeks and potentially before a woman could even realise she's pregnant.
Idaho governor Brad Little signed the bill on Tuesday. In a statement, he said: "Idaho is a state that values the most innocent of all lives - the lives of babies. We should never relent in our efforts to protect the lives of the preborn.
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"Hundreds and hundreds of babies lose their lives every year in Idaho due to abortion, an absolute tragedy. I appreciate Idaho lawmakers for continuing to protect lives by passing this important legislation, and I am proud to sign the bill into law today."
The bill includes three exceptions - rape, incest and medical emergency - and will only go into effect if a similar heartbeat ban is upheld in Idaho courts.
Earlier this week, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed three abortion bills, including a fetal heartbeat abortion ban. Under the bill, doctors who perform the termination despite the presence of a heartbeat could be found guilty of homicide.
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It includes an exception which states the procedure can go ahead if it is performed to save the life of the mother or "avert serious risk" of physical impairment.
Planned Parenthood took to Twitter after the news in Idaho was announced to say it would 'sue' if the law came into force.
"Let's be clear: Nothing changes today or in the future," they tweeted.
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"Abortion is still legal in Idaho, even after six weeks. This is a trigger law that would ONLY begin IF a similar ban is upheld in a separate court. And, of course, we'll sue to stop it then."
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: Pregnancy, Life News, abortion