Law Requiring Ultrasounds for Abortions Is Struck Down (Oklahoma)

[Heidi]

Source: Washington Post

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

An Oklahoma judge decided Tuesday that doctors do not need to perform ultrasounds and offer women detailed information about the tests before performing abortions, striking down the strictest such law in the country.

Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki L. Robertson ruled that the 2008 law, which included other abortion-related provisions, violated a state constitutional provision that requires laws to address only one subject.

Thirteen states regulate the provision of ultrasounds by abortion providers, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health think tank. The provisions have been pushed by abortion opponents as a means of deterring women from having the procedures.

The Oklahoma law, which was never enforced, was the first to mandate that any woman seeking an abortion must have an ultrasound and that doctors describe the image in detail, including organs and extremities, even if the woman objects.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/18/AR2009081803323.html

[ccharles000]

1. great

[joecool65]

2. Medical costs

Wonder how much it cost to perform those procedures? Talk about adding unnecessary costs to health care.

[dysfunctional press]

7. it's probably billed to the patient as part of an abortion procedure...

so that no taxpayer funds can be used, per henry hyde.

[66 dmhlt]

17. A Trans-abdominal Pelvic UltraSound costs about $130

http://healthcarebluebook.com/page_Results.aspx?id=163&dataset=MD

But where you live will have some affect on the cost - so just add your Zip Code to the above link to get a more accurate estimate. (This is for the Kansas City, MO area.)

It's from an interesting and useful site that provides costs for medical procedures - and then you can further tailor it to your Zip Code.
But it does NOT do a good job at guessing, so you have to spell the procedure correctly (or at least the first five letters).

http://healthcarebluebook.com/page_Default.aspx

[66 dmhlt]

18. I should note that I entered just "ultrasound"

I happen to be a physician, but for the "HealthCare Blue Book" site, I'd start out your Search as general as possible.

[LeftyMom]

25. Ultrasounds in early pregnancy are TRANSVAGINAL.

Which means that if a woman was seeking abortion procedures after a rape, the state wanted to mandate sticking a gigantic phallic object (it kinda looks like a microphone) in her and wiggling it around for a bit, for no real medical reason.

Just think about that for a minute. Drop all this talk about cost and even about abortion and just think about the amount of trauma that can induce in women with a history of sexual trauma or abuse. This is why we need women in government, somebody should have pointed out what a deeply, deeply fucked up idea that was back when this bill was a twinkle in some sick fundamentalist's eye.

[aquart]

3. Thank God for a sane judge. Oh, look. A woman.

And then I think of Sandra Day O'Connor.

[Bill219]

4. If you listen really carefully...

You can hear that tool Inhofe crying right now

[Heidi]

6. Coburn to Inhofe: "Just hold me!" (nt)

[EFerrari]

5. This is good, good news. n/t

[ThomCat]

8. I'm glad it's gone.

I hope nothing like it comes back around.

[Wilms]

9. So the freepers wanted a government mandated medical procedure?

Pathetic.

[ejpoeta]

13. but they want government to stay out of their healthcare. odd isn't it.

they are pitching a fit about government getting in their personal business, but they feel perfectly justified in getting in a woman's business.

[Dappleganger]

22. +1

[Solly Mack]

10. K&R

[iverglas]

11. there really are two words that should settle this

mandate that ... doctors describe the image in detail,
including organs and extremities, even if the woman objects.

Free

Speech


times two.

[a la izquierda]

12. I heard this on the local news last night.

My husband's response: "Sanity. Amazing." There are lots of zany laws that get passed in Oklahoma, and I'm thrilled that this one was struck down.

Now, let's watch for the challenges...they're coming, according to the reporter who covered the story.

[yesphan]

14. Wow, really ?

:wow: I too am quite surprised. This kind of legislation is what our repug majority get all
creamy over. This decision will make many of them shit the bed and wake up crying.
However, you are correct in the notion that this will be revisited. For many of these
nuts, they think they won't be able to get to heaven unless they get their legislation through.

[Heidi]

19. What's the deal with premarital counseling in Oklahoma?

When I married my ex-husband there, only blood tests were required for the license, but I thought my mom mentioned something about premarital counseling.

[a la izquierda]

28. I have no idea, actually.

I got married in Las Vegas. I figured my East/West Coast families wouldn't want to come to OK for a wedding. And we really didn't know anyone when we moved here.

[Ian David]

15. Oklahoma: The only state in the country with no "Blue" counties. n/t

[lunatica]

16. the idea that 'deterrence' is needed is just insane

Well let's 'deter' girls from having sex, but for boys it's OK, unless, obviously, it's with other boys.

Let's not educate about sex or condone condoms. That wouldn't count as 'deterrence'. 'Deterrence is only after the fact. If you mention anything about sex before the fact the kids will fuck like rabbits. But maybe we can provide them with a wire hanger.

If a girl is made pregnant by a rapist or a male family member let's 'deter' her from making the wrong choice, or any choice. We don't like choice. We'll make the choice for them.

If a woman's life is in danger due to her pregnancy it's doubly necessary to 'deter' her from making an obviously selfish and evil choice to save her own life. If she already has kids, well they should grow up proud that they were asked to sacrifice losing their mother. She's been successfully 'deterred'. Oh! And if the baby dies too, well that's God's will. Be happy, God has smiled upon you because God believes in 'deterrence'. Your sainted 'deterred' mother is now in Heaven for sure.

[Heidi]

20. Thank you, lunatica.

It's too bold to say, probably even at DU, but I consider abortion a form of self-defense in many cases.

[David__77]

21. So they'll pass it as a stand-alone law.

Too bad. Oklahomans should stop electing fascists to represent them.

[Heidi]

23. That's not a forgone conclusion. There are people registered to vote in Oklahoma

who won't tolerate this sort of patriarchal, religious zealotry as an excuse for overseeing women's private health-care decisions.

[NickB79]

24. What would even show up on an ultrasound at 2 months along?

Are there any details to be seen on the majority of abortions, since most are terminated in the first trimester?

[Heidi]

26. That law was never enforced, so I don't know how they could gather statistics.

And perhaps I'm naive, but I lived in Oklahoma until I was 22 and am convinced that the majority of doctors (especially ob/gyns) are not of Dr. Coburn's ilk/mindset. :hi:

[TrogL]

27. My daughter's been waving her ultrasound picture around

It looks like TV static to me.