Ohio Bill Would Allow Women Seeking Abortion To View Ultrasound Image

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: MRI / PET / Ultrasound
Article Date: 23 Oct 2007 - 7:00 PST

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Ohio state Sen. Gary Cates (R) recently proposed a measure (SB 230) that would give a woman seeking an abortion the option of viewing an ultrasound image of her fetus before undergoing the procedure, the AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Mark Lally, legal director for Ohio Right to Life, said abortion-rights opponents believe viewing ultrasound images might influence women seeking abortions to reconsider undergoing the procedure. "We have encountered women who, after having abortions, saw ultrasounds in other contexts of other children and they say, 'Hey, that's about the same age the child that I aborted was,' and they have adverse emotional reactions," Lally said.

Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, said the organization is "remaining neutral on the bill because, as it is right now, it's telling clinics to do what they already do." Gary Dougherty, executive director of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio, said, "It's our standard practice. ... If somebody asks to see [an ultrasound image], we're going to show it to them -- no question." According to the National Right to Life Committee, 11 states have passed laws requiring that ultrasounds be offered to women (Carr Smyth, AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/18).

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