Ruling upholding a fetal heartbeat law hailed as a 'decisive victory' by anti-abortion leaders, while reproductive rights advocates called it 'cruel'

South Carolina’s Supreme Court upheld the state’s ‘fetal heartbeat’ law in a Wednesday ruling. Justices ruled the state can continue to ban abortion starting at six weeks of gestation, when the current law states a ‘fetal heartbeat’ can begin to be detected.

The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld an interpretation of a 2023 law prohibiting most abortions starting at the six-week mark of pregnancy, or when a heartbeat is typically detected. Planned Parenthood challenged the six-week ban,