South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford signed a bill today that will increase the required waiting period prior to an abortion from one hour after an ultrasound to 24 hours. Sanford signed the bill at a Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC), Spartanburg Carolina’s Pregnancy Center, according to CBS. CPCs pose as legitimate health centers and offer “free” pregnancy tests. Some CPCs coerce and intimidate women out of considering abortion as an option, and prevent women from receiving neutral and comprehensive medical advice. They are typically run by anti-abortion volunteers who are not licensed medical professionals. Sloan Whelan, public relations coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Charleston, told NBC, “It’s unconscionable that the governor of South Carolina, along with other state legislators, would host a bill signing ceremony at a crisis pregnancy center. Crisis pregnancy centers have an infamous history for providing women with medically inaccurate and biased information in order to persuade their decision.” In regards to the law itself, Whelan said, “There is no evidence that waiting periods reduce the number of abortions, and [they are] an egregious intrusion into a personal private medical decision of women and their loved ones.” South Carolina Representative Dan Cooper (R), who supports the law, told NBC, “This just gives us another step in trying to convince people that that is an actual human inside of the mother.” He continued, “You got three days to return some things you buy. Buyer’s remorse they call it when you buy appliances and things, so why would[n’t] you have at least a 24 hour period so you could at least consider that decision [to have an abortion]?”
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