After nearly four years, the overturning of Roe v. Wade remains a monumental shift for women throughout the nation. Florida has become a region of contention in the abortion debate, with strict laws redefining reproductive healthcare.
During her senior year of high school, Rema Summerlin faced an unplanned pregnancy. She chose to keep her baby, but unlike many women today she wasn’t racing against Florida’s six-week abortion ban. “As a teen mom, I understand the weight of that decision on young women. Thankfully, when I found out I was pregnant, this law was not in place and my decision was able to be made between me, my boyfriend, and my family — and we chose to have our son who is now two years old,” said Rema Summerlin, a resident of Lake City, Florida. Summerlin also works in the medical field as a surgical technician. “From a healthcare standpoint, I believe it’s important to give people more options and resources over their healthcare, not less.”
Florida’s six-week abortion ban has transformed reproductive healthcare into a race against time, restricting access before many even know they’re pregnant. In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, ending nearly fifty years of women’s constitutional right to abortion. As a result, abortion policy became a state matter, and in Florida, the consequences were immediate and striking.
“The right to abortion used to be a constitutional right under the U.S. Constitution,” said Professor Caroline Mala Corbin, a constitutional law professor at the University of Miami. “States could not outlaw abortion when it was a constitutional right. Post-Dobbs, the right to end an unwanted pregnancy was no longer guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.”
Florida’s Six-Week Ban
Florida has moved rapidly to enact stricter limits on abortion, most notably with a six-week ban that took effect May 1, 2024. The law, formally known as the Heartbeat Protection Act (Senate Bill 300), prohibits most abortions after about six weeks—a moment many people are unaware they are pregnant.
Under current Florida law, “women cannot end pregnancy that is more than six weeks after their last period,” Corbin explained. “Post-Dobbs, the right to end an unwanted pregnancy was no longer guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. In Florida, women no longer have control over their bodies.”
The state requires documentation to prove rape or trafficking to proceed with an abortion past the six-week limit. “There are a few limited exceptions,” Corbin said. “Exceptions include incest, rape, victim of trafficking, or if the pregnancy will kill the mother.” Otherwise, Florida women face two choices: travel out of state or carry the pregnancy to term.
Advocates say the new law has had a major impact. According to the Guttmacher Institute, at the start of 2024, the number of monthly abortions performed by Florida clinicians fell from about 8,000 to about 5,200 by June of that year—roughly a 35% decline since the ban went into effect.
Leaving the State
It is legal to travel out of state for an abortion, but that option is limited to those who can afford it. For college students and individuals with low income, those costs often make the option unfeasible.
Providers and patients are facing a multitude of problems, including medical and legal complications. The short time window means that many pregnancies will already be beyond the six-week mark before a person realizes they are pregnant and can secure an appointment.
According to WUSF Health, clinics say the mandatory 24-hour waiting period and requirement for two in-person visits further add pressure. Previously, the state served as an access point for patients from neighboring Southern states with tighter restrictions or bans. With the new law, clinics report a sharp decline in out-of-state patients, and many are being referred out of Florida.
“Pregnant women can either leave the state or obtain an illegal abortion,” said Corbin. “College students in Florida should know that having an abortion is legal before six weeks; otherwise, they must leave the state to obtain one.”
Campus and Student Impact
Lizzy Barlow, a current law student for reproductive justice at the University of Miami, expressed her stance on the outcome of Dobbs. “I feel that on behalf of myself and other young women, abortion should never be limited to a maximum of six weeks,” said Barlow. “I personally feel that it should be extended to 24 weeks. That would give enough time for a woman who wants to abort to realize that she is pregnant and decide what she wants for herself.”
Patrick Whalen, the vice president of Young Republicans at the University of Miami, took a different approach. “There are three ways a woman can get pregnant: consensual intercourse, accidental pregnancy, or rape. In the first two, the baby should always be delivered, but why not make the third into a positive by delivering the child?” Whalen said.
Whalen also addressed his stance on Florida’s six-week ban. “I don’t necessarily believe it should be at six weeks. Science says it starts at conception. While it is a clump of cells, it’s still a developing human being with human rights.”
Florida Political and Legal Context
There have been many questions regarding the Florida Constitution, especially since the new administration. “The Florida Constitution can be amended. In the past election, the government got involved with campaigning against the amendment in a questionable way,” said Corbin. “If the government didn’t interfere with the electoral process of what the amendment would do, then it might in fact pass. If we had a very different government, then we might have very different judges in the Florida Supreme Court.”
Throughout the November 2024 race, the administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis poured state resources into defeating Amendment 4. This included launching a state-sponsored website against the amendment, leading an investigation into ballot petitions, putting out advertising against it, and threatening to sue television stations over a pro-abortion rights ad.
60% Threshold
People in support of the ban say that the state has a duty to protect unborn life. The initiative aimed to provide a constitutional right to abortion before viability, as well as when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.
As Florida enters this new chapter, political tensions and what’s at stake remain high. Voters were given a chance in November 2024 to amend the state constitution to protect abortion rights up to fetal viability. However, Florida Amendment 4 received 57.17% of the vote, failing to reach the 60% threshold required for approval.
For women in Florida—especially those from under-resourced communities or living far from state borders—the combination of the six-week ban, limited exceptions, and additional procedural requirements has significantly narrowed practical access to abortion care. The full impact across the state and region is not yet fully known, but early data already indicate major changes in reproductive health.
words_ katie carman, madeline mote & spencer werner. illustration&design_jay moyer.
This article was published in Distraction’s Spring 2026 print issue.
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