A Texas high school valedictorian scrapped her original speech to speak out against the state's abortion ban.

Paxton Smith had her speech about the influence of TV and media on her world views preapproved, but she swapped it out last minute and replaced it with a now-viral speech about the state's new abortion laws.

With a shaking voice, she said: "In light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state.

"Starting in September, there will be a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, regardless of whether the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest."

Listen to Paxton's powerful speech below:

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She went on: "I have dreams, hopes, and ambitions. Every girl here does. We have spent our whole lives working towards our futures, and without our consent or input, our control over our futures has been stripped away from us.

"I am terrified that if my contraceptives fail me, that if I'm raped, then my hopes and efforts and dreams for myself will no longer be relevant. I hope you can feel how gut-wrenching it is, how dehumanizing it is, to have the autonomy over your own body taken from you."

Per the Guardian, the state's governor, Greg Abbott, signed the new legislation which bans abortion after six weeks in May.

However, at six weeks, the majority of women do not yet know they are pregnant.

Pro-choice advocates have slammed the new legislation because it does not make any exceptions for incest or rape, effectively banning abortions for women in Texas.

Hillary Clinton, the 2016 presidential candidate and women's rights activist, praised Smith's speech, writing: "This took guts. Thank you for not staying silent, Paxton."

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Former Democratic Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke thanked her "for having the courage of your convictions and inspiring Texas with your refusal to accept injustice as the price of participation in civic life."

He added: "May we all use our place in this democracy to fight for what we believe to be right and follow your example!"

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In an interview with D Magazine, Smith said that the viral fame her speech brought her felt "weird for me personally", but she was ultimately glad that she raised awareness of the issue.

She then urged people to vote, "and to stay involved in local elections because those have more power than I think the media gives them credit for."

Featured image credit: Pexels / Emily Ranquist

High school valedictorian ditches original speech to speak out against Texas' new abortion law