The controversial abortion restrictions sweeping the country

A wave of abortion restrictions in Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, and other states has sparked nationwide controversy, and they could be the start of a prolonged legal battle over Roe v. Wade and the future of abortion rights in America.

Alabama passed a law that bans abortion in nearly all cases, unless the pregnant person’s life is at risk. A doctor who performs an abortion for any other reason could face up to 99 years in prison, and the law does not include exceptions for cases of rape and incest.

Georgia, Ohio, and a slate of other states have also passed so-called “heartbeat bills,” which prohibit abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected — as early as six weeks into pregnancy. These bills were once a fringe idea but have become more mainstream as the anti-abortion movement has pursued more aggressive tactics. Reproductive rights advocates and doctors say they amount to near-total bans, since many patients don’t yet know they are pregnant at six weeks.

The restrictions have not taken effect yet, and abortion is still legal in all 50 states. But they are part of a conservative strategy to get a case in front of the Supreme Court, where anti-abortion advocates hope Roe v. Wade will be overturned.