Laws designed to limit right to legal abortion

Laws designed to limitright to legal abortion

I could not disagree more with Kathleen Parker's assessment Wednesday column of the recent Oklahoma law requiring doctors to perform an ultrasound on every woman who requests an abortion one hour before the procedure is performed. This is clearly infringement on the rights of patients and their doctors to determine what medical procedures are necessary.

Forcing a woman to either view or look away from a screen and hear a detailed description of an embryo or fetus is clearly designed to induce trauma in a woman who already has made an extremely difficult decision that no one takes lightly.

While this legislation is purportedly designed with the intent of assuring a woman is making an informed decision regarding her abortion, this goal could not be more disingenuous in light of another abortion bill passed at the same time. HB 2656 prohibits women from suing doctors who intentionally or unknowingly withhold information about fetal abnormalities, because they think there is a chance that the mother might choose to terminate her pregnancy. How does refusing to provide information about the status of her fetus contribute to informed decision making? The hypocrisy is staggering.

Fortunately, a restraining order issued by a judge will prevent enforcement of these laws until a hearing in July. Neither of these bills is truly designed to assist women in making a thoughtful, informed decision about her pregnancy. Both of these laws are aimed at chipping away at a woman's right to a safe and legal procedure.

Laura McGraw

Cedar Rapids