The Arizona legislature approved a bill on Tuesday that would prohibit abortions in the state after 20 weeks. According to Think Progress , the bill can essentially ban abortions after 18 weeks of pregnancy because gestational age of the fetus will be “calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of the pregnant woman.”
The bill now awaits Governor Jan Brewer’s signature. Governor Brewer has signed other anti-abortion legislation into law in the past.
The bill also requires the state to create a website with pictures of a fetus at multiple stages of development. Women will also be required to undergo an ultrasound 24 hours before an abortion. Currently, state law requires an ultrasound to occur one hour before an abortion.
The American College of Gynecology disputes assertions that a fetus can feel pain at the 20 weeks gestation period, stating that there is “no legitimate evidence that fetuses can experience pain.”
Media Sources: Washington Post 4/10/12; Reuters 4/10/12; ThinkProgress 4/10/12; Feminist Daily News Wire 3/28/12
