There has always been major controversy over abortion, some are “pro-choice” and others “pro-life.” Pro-choice supporters think that the woman that is pregnant should be able to decide what she does, whether this means keep the fetus or have an abortion, no matter the reason. Pro-life supporters believe that a woman should not have an abortion no matter the circumstances, because it is not part of her body, but another human being.

Recently, there has been an uproar in social media due to the new law passed in New York. Now most people aren’t looking at the full picture and are only seeing that they have allowed women to have late-term abortions. This means that woman can have abortions past 24 weeks of pregnancy, but only if the fetus isn’t viable or if to protect the mother’s health. Before this change in the law, you could still have late-term abortions, but only if it was to protect the mother’s health. So if you are now told that your child will not be able to survive outside of the womb you can have legal access to an abortion. If the mother’s health is in no danger and the fetus is viable then an abortion after 24 weeks is still illegal.

“Today we are taking a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her own personal health, including the ability to access an abortion. With the signing of this bill, we are sending a clear message that whatever happens in Washington, women in New York will always have the fundamental right to control their own body,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo after signing New York’s Reproductive Health Act.

Another change is that abortion is no longer in the state’s penal code, meaning that health care providers acting in good faith will not be held criminally liable. Certain medical professionals that are not doctors are now also allowed to perform the procedure.

So, New York did change their abortion law, some are happy about this change and finally feel like we are taking steps in the right direction, while others are angered and feel as though we are taking steps backwards.