A North Carolina law requiring abortion providers to submit an ultrasound to state officials for every abortion and induced miscarriage performed after the 16th week of pregnancy took effect on January 1.
The law, signed by Governor Pat McCrory in June, demands all doctors performing abortions after 16 weeks to send the State Department of Health and Human Services an ultrasound of the fetus proving the measurements used to determine the fetus’ “probable gestational age.” Louisiana and Oklahoma have similar ultrasound provisions.
Current North Carolina law bans abortion after 20-weeks of pregnancy except in cases of “medical emergencies.” As part of the new requirements, doctors performing abortions after 20-weeks must also submit to the state whatever evidence was used to determine that the abortion qualified as a medical emergency. Essentially, the law forces women to share their private medical information with state officials.
“State bureaucrats have no business coming between a woman and her doctor and collecting medical records that should be personal and private,” said Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic Executive Director Melissa L. Reed who has called the law “medically unnecessary and purely politically driven.” Reed says that, “The true intent of the law is clear—to shame women and intimidate the doctors that care for them.”
Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic has started an online petition to tell McCrory to stop #StockpilingSonos.
Media Resources: New York Times 1/11/16; The Charlotte Observer 1/6/16; The News & Observer 12/30/15; Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic
