Iowa's six-week abortion ban has been temporarily blocked by a judge, several days after Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed the measure into law.

The Republican-led legislature passed the measure last week in an all-day special session called by Reynolds to move forward a ban on abortion after the detection of fetal cardiac activity, which is typically at approximately six weeks gestation.

Abortion in Iowa has become a focal point in the national debate on the controversial issue as the state Supreme Court overruled on procedural grounds a similar six-week ban that was passed before the overturning of Roe v. Wade constitutional protections for abortion in June 2022. After the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, Reynolds petitioned her state's High Court to reinstate the ban that would have violated the federal constitution under Roe-era jurisprudence. The Court said that to do so would be legislating from the bench, but it would consider another, more recent ban if passed by the current legislature.

Judge Joseph Seidlin heard the case for an emergency injunction on Friday on behalf of Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic.

Planned Parenthood touted the injunction as "good news." "For now, abortions remain safe and legal in Iowa. This fight isn't over," said Planned Parenthood.

Abortion is now legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks gestation. As of 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 4,058 abortions were conducted in Iowa, and approximately 10.1% of pregnancies in the state ended in abortion.