Illegal abortions in Georgia are now punishable with jail time.

Georgia has just legalized a controversial abortion law that will prevent women from obtaining an abortion after a fetus’s heartbeat is able to be detected. A fetal heartbeat can usually be heard by the sixth week of pregnancy, if not sooner.

Many progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez feel this law is a “backdoor ban” because they believe most women don’t know they’re pregnant by the sixth week of pregnancy. However, those on the opposing side feel that six weeks is plenty of time to make a decision for an abortion. Their argument is that six weeks leaves enough time and leeway to realize that a missed period may be an indicator for a pregnancy.

Since abortion was legalized in 1973 via Roe v. Wade, there have been over 60 million abortions performed in the US alone, with a small percentage of those being sought after because of rape, fetal health problems, or maternal health problems.

Georgia politicians who legislated this bill into law are hoping this new legislation will dramatically decrease the number of abortions and deter people who want to use abortion as a means of birth control.

Georgia joins 15 states who have passed or are in the process of passing this law.