Abortion: Texas teen attacks new law in high school graduation speech

When Paxton Smith got up to deliver her high school graduation speech, it was supposed to be about TV and the media.

But the teenager ditched the script that had been approved by her school, and spoke about abortions instead.

In her home state of Texas, a law banning abortion from as early as six weeks has recently been signed.

"I cannot give up this platform to promote complacency and peace when there is a war on my body," Paxton said in the speech that's since gone viral.

The law bans abortions after the detection of what anti-abortion campaigners call a foetal heartbeat, something medical authorities like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say is misleading. Many women would not know they are pregnant that early on.

The law does allow abortions in the case of a medical emergency, but not for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.