The few abortion clinics in Oklahoma have said they would stop performing the procedure as soon as the law came into force – which it did when the governor signed it on Wednesday.
“I promised the people of Oklahoma as governor to sign all the ‘pro-life’ legislation that ended up on my desk and I am proud to be able to keep that promise today,” Kevin Stitt said in a statement.
Opponents of abortion often call themselves “pro-life”.
The law is based on a previous one abortion law passed earlier in May banning abortion from the sixth week – which in turn resembled an abortion law in the state of Texas. The law means that private individuals can now sue the person who performs an abortion, or anyone who helps a woman to have an abortion.
But now Oklahoma goes even further and bans almost all abortions from conception.
Exceptions are only allowed for pregnancies that are the result of rape or incest, and if the woman’s life is in danger. So-called day-after pills are also still allowed.
Another bill, which is expected to enter into force this summer in Oklahoma, is also underway. There, it is classified as a crime to perform an abortion, regardless of the circumstances, with a penalty of up to ten years in prison.