Health Highlights: May 26, 2016

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

New South Carolina Law Bans Abortions At 20 Weeks

A bill outlawing most abortions at 20 weeks after conception was signed Wednesday by South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley and takes effect July 1.

The only exceptions to the law are if a mother’s life is at risk or if a doctor concludes the fetus can’t survive outside the womb, the Associated Press reported.

For each violation of the law, doctors face up to $10,000 in fines and 3 years in prison. A third conviction brings mandatory prison time.

Opponents of the law point out that later-term abortions typically occur when there are serious problems with a wanted pregnancy.

“The reality is that abortion later in pregnancy is extremely rare and often takes place in complex and difficult situations where a woman and her doctor need every medical option available,” Alyssa Miller, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman for South Carolina, told the AP.

The South Carolina forbids abortion of a fetus with a severe birth defect if the child could live. Such problems are typically detected around 20 weeks of pregnancy, the AP reported.

At least 13 states have banned late-stage abortions, while bans in several other states have been blocked by court challenges.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling said women nationwide have the right to abortions, but also said state could restrict abortions after viability, which is the point when a fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving outside the womb. Viability may occur between 24 and 28 weeks, according to the ruling.

There are a number of legal challenges against state bans on earlier abortions, but the Supreme Court has yet to rule on those cases, the AP reported.

A few days ago, a bill to outlaw abortion at any stage was vetoed by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin because she said it would not withstand a legal challenge.

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Two States Sue J&J Over Vaginal Mesh Implants

Washington state and California have filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson over its vaginal mesh implants.

The attorneys general of the two states said the company for years misrepresented the severe risks of the devices for thousands of patients, the Associated Press reported.

Johnson & Johnson neglected to inform patients and doctors about the risks and about patients who suffered serious and sometimes irreversible complications such as urinary dysfunction, constipation, severe pain and loss of sexual function, according to the attorneys general.

The lawsuits are unjustified, according to Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon, Inc., which marketed the device, the AP reported.

Early this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration re-labeled vaginal mesh products as high risk instead of moderate and said they would be subjected to increased scrutiny.

Tens of thousands of patients have filed lawsuits against vaginal mesh makers, including Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific and Endo International. In 2014, Endo agreed to pay $830 million to settle more than 20,000 lawsuits, the AP reported.

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