Los Angeles Times Profiles Women Who Have Undergone Late Abortions at Kansas Clinic Being Investigated by State

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 02 Jun 2005 - 13:00 PDT

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The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday profiled several women who have undergone late-term abortions at Wichita, Kan.-based Women's Health Care Services, which specializes in second- and third-trimester abortions and is under investigation by Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (R) (Simon, Los Angeles Times, 5/31). Kline, who opposes abortion rights, last year issued a subpoena ordering the release of complete, unedited medical records -- including each patient's name, medical history, birth control practices, psychological profile and sexual history -- for all women and girls who sought abortions at or after 22 weeks gestation. According to a brief filed in the Kansas Supreme Court by Women's Health Care and another clinic, Kline subpoenaed the records to search for evidence of crimes, including possible violations of laws limiting late-term abortions and requiring mandatory reporting of suspected child sexual abuse (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 4/5). Under Kansas law, certain late-term abortions are legal only if continuing the pregnancy could "substantially and irreversibly" damage the health of a woman, but Kline has questioned whether the women who underwent second- or third-trimester abortions at Women's Health Care "were truly in that much danger," the Times reports. The clinics have asked the state Supreme Court to block Kline's investigation, and a decision in the case is expected within weeks, according to the Times (Los Angeles Times, 5/31).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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