New Zealand loosens protections for unborn babies

Since 1977, New Zealand law had required women seeking abortions to prove their pregnancies posed a danger to their physical and mental health. But lawmakers on Wednesday reclassified abortion as a health issue and not a criminal act, leaving unborn babies unprotected until 20 weeks of gestation.

What happens after that? Women who have exceeded the time frame can still get an abortion with approval from a health practitioner. The Christian advocacy group Family First called it a “sad day” as it thanked thousands of volunteers who wrote letters and campaigned against the bill.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Hickman’s report in Vitals on women who have regretted their abortions.