Women's Rights & Issues
Related: About this forumUltra-creepy new ultrasound laws are the shame of the ultra-right
The party that claims to champion small government is at it again.
This month Republican majorities in both chambers in Virginia's Legislature passed one of the strictest mandatory pre-abortion ultrasound bills in the nation a measure that's certain to require women seeking early-stage abortions to submit to being vaginally penetrated by a condom-covered electronic probe before the abortion is allowed to proceed.
The procedure is called a "transvaginal ultrasound," and it's the best and sometimes only way in the first stages of pregnancy for physicians to obtain images that "contain the dimensions of the fetus, and accurately portray the presence of external members and internal organs of the fetus," as the bill requires.
Such ultrasounds are common medical procedures. But make no mistake. The proposed regulation, which Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell previously indicated he will sign if, as expected, legislators send a final version to his desk next week, has nothing to do with the practice of medicine.
It's designed to attempt to confront women seeking abortions with fetal images and the sounds of fetal heartbeats in hopes that they'll change their minds about going through with the procedure. That's why the law specifies that the ultrasound be performed "at least two hours before the performance of an abortion," and that the results be offered to the woman before she signs off on going through with it.
more: http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2012/02/ultra-creepy-new-ultrasound-laws-are-the-shame-of-the-ultra-right.html
LiberalEsto
(22,845 posts)I wonder if part of the plan is to make abortions so costly that women can't afford them.
obamanut2012
(26,076 posts)Most insurance probably won't pay.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)obamanut2012
(26,076 posts)Women (and teens) who can will probably drive to Maryland and the District. NC's crazy legislature have passed a horrible abortion law, overriding the Gov's veto, so heading south out of Virginia is out.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)yardwork
(61,608 posts)I live in North Carolina. How can we be more progressive than Virginia? How can most of the country be more progressive than Virginia? I don't understand what happened to Virginia. Can someone clue me in? Thanks.
Iris
(15,653 posts)on protecting? If their primary focus is protecting the fetus, this seems kind of risky.
But, then, we know what the real in intent is.