South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill into law on Wednesday that makes abortions illegal at 20 weeks beyond fertilization.
Violation of the law can result in up to $10,000 in fines and jail time on the third conviction. Exceptions are made if the mother's life is in danger or if the doctor decides that the fetus cannot survive outside of the womb.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act takes effect immediately and makes no exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
"After twenty weeks, the unborn child reacts to stimuli that would be recognized as painful if applied to an adult human, for example, by recoiling," the bill says, on the basis that there is "substantial medical evidence."
Opponents of the bill say that later-term abortions are not usually performed in cases of unwanted pregnancy, but due to medical complications.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that "fetal perception of pain is unlikely before the third trimester," citing a 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association which claims, "Although ultrasound monitoring can show intrauterine fetal movement, no studies since 2005 demonstrate fetal recognition of pain."
South Carolina is the 13th state in which the ban will take effect, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
