Protesters in front of the Alabama State House (Image: Reuters)

The Alabama Senate has voted to ban nearly all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest.

The bill was previously approved by the Alabama House of Representatives and will now go to Governor Kay Ivey, who has withheld comment on whether she would sign it, but generally she is a strong opponent of abortion.

The only scenario in which a woman would be allowed an abortion, under the new bill, is if keeping the baby would threaten the mother's life.

The legislation previously passed in the Alabama House of Representatives by 74 votes to three.

Doctors could be jailed for 99 years if they carry out an abortion, under the bill.

 State of Alabama (in red) (Photo: Courtesy)

The decision could face legal challenges and end up before the Supreme Court, potentially leading to terminations being banned across the country.

Abortion opponents want pro-choice groups to launch legal challenges to the recent wave of bills aimed at restricting terminations in various states, according to reports.

They reportedly intend to take the legislation to the Supreme Court, where they hope Trump's conservative appointees Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch will help to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling.

This decision essentially legalised abortion in the US.

The move by the Alabama Senate is part of a wider effort to force the U.S Supreme Court to reconsider women's rights to abortions.

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Abortion;Alabama;Maternal Health Care