And another bad start to your Monday.
According to reports in USA Today, lawmakers in 11 states are considering bills that would require ultrasounds before a woman is permitted to have an abortion. The most stringent laws are being proposed in Nebraska, Indiana and Texas, which would require a doctor show the ultrasound image of the foetus to the woman. Oklahoma's law is currently being challenged in court after it has been deemed to infringe on women's rights to privacy and assault dignity.
"They really do not even veil their goal, which is to make a woman feel badly and to make her change her mind," said Celine Mizrahi, a lawyer for the New York-based center. "It really is a ridiculous position to put the doctor and patient in."
Even bills that are considered 'less restrictive' are still problematic. South Carolina is trying to require that women must wait 24 hours before being permitted to have an abortion and women are given the option of viewing the foetal photograph one hour before the procedure. Mizrahi notes that women women may be referred to a centre that performs ultrasounds for free. This is a problem because many of these clinics are considered pregnancy 'crisis centres' and are run by pro-life groups which actively discourage women from having abortions.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-08-abortion-laws_N.htm
