Oklahoma judge upholds state ban on particular abortion method

An Oklahoma judge on Friday reportedly upheld a state ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure.

Oklahoma County District Judge Cindy Truong upheld the ban, which prevents the use of instruments in a dilation and evacuation abortion procedure that typically takes place during the second trimester, The Associated Press reports.

{mosads}The law, which was put on hold during the legal challenge, was passed by the state’s GOP-controlled legislature and signed into law in 2015.

The only exceptions to the ban are if the woman’s life is in danger or if a serious health risk is posed to her.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenged Oklahoma’s law, tweeted Friday that “we cannot overstate the harm the decision will have” on women in the state.

RED ALERT:  The Oklahoma district court just became the first court in the country to uphold a ban on the standard method of ending a pregnancy after approximately 14 weeks

We cannot overstate the harm this decision will have on women in Oklahoma.

— Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) July 12, 2019

The group, which says similar laws have been blocked in states such as Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky, plans to appeal the decision to the state’s Supreme Court, its litigation director, Julie Rikelman, told the AP.

The decision comes as several states are facing legal challenges for recently passed restrictive abortion laws.