ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — Florida’s six-week abortion ban is set to take effect Wednesday, replacing an existing law that allows abortions up to 15 weeks.

Michele Herzog, the director of Pro-Life Action Ministries of Central Florida who was protesting outside a woman’s clinic Tuesday in Altamonte Springs, says Florida’s six-week abortion ban is good, but, in his opinion, does not go far enough.

What You Need To Know

  • Florida’s six-week abortion ban is set to take effect Wednesday, replacing an existing law that allows abortions up to 15 weeks

  • Protesters outside All Women's Health Center Tuesday said they thought the six-week ban doesn't go far enough

  • Voters will have the ultimate say in November — but before then, the six-week ban will be implemented

“Little baby boys and girls are still going to die. Now there's going to be a lot less abortions in the state of Florida. And I am very thankful for that right now," Herzog said as she protested Tuesday outside All Women's Health Center in Altamonte Springs.

Dr. Mark Trolice, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with 20 years of experience, and founder of The IVF Center in Winter Park, said he sees it differently.

“This is an infringement on the reproductive rights to ban abortion at six weeks of pregnancy," he said. "Most women are not going to realize that they are pregnant by that time."

Trolice said he sees the six-week abortion ban as a personal attack on female reproductive rights, and has been outspoken about the issue both in Florida and in Washington. 

He said people on both sides of the issue need to find a middle ground.

“I think the ruling for 15 weeks ... seems to be more realistic, because they gave women more time to prepare for their decision," Trolice said. "Where six weeks is virtually impossible to be able to offer the time to be able to get a termination of pregnancy without violating the law."

For Herzog and other protesters holding up signs outside the All Women's Health Center Tuesday, the answer was not more access to abortions, but less.

“I think it's time for us to stop dehumanizing fellow human beings that just are smaller than us," she said. "Just because they're younger and just because we can't see them, we should never judge somebody unworthy to live because of their location, their size, or their age, and that's exactly what we've done."

Florida is one of three states that has secured abortion measures on the 2024 election ballot. In Florida's case, the amendment to the state constitution would protect abortion access in the state up to the point of fetal viability — which is generally understood to be around 24 weeks. 

Voters will have the ultimate say in November, but until then, the six-week ban will be implemented.