Having an
abortion was one of the hardest things one of my closest friends
has ever done, and to imagine looking at the ultrasound moments
before the procedure, according to her, would have been
unbearable.
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Having an abortion was one of the
hardest things one of my closest friends has ever done, and to
imagine looking at the ultrasound moments before the procedure,
according to her, would have been unbearable.
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For the thousands of women in North
Carolina who consider having an abortion, a new law may require
them to see the fetus prior to terminating their pregnancy, even if
they do not wish to see the image.
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A judge in Greensboro heard arguments
Monday led by prochoice advocates including the American Civil
Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation,
Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Planned Parenthood of Central
North Carolina and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups
have fi led a lawsuit against this new measure, claiming, “the new
law violates the rights of health care providers and women seeking
abortions.”
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If passed, medical professionals will be
required to describe to the mother the dimensions of the fetus and
the presence of hands, feet and internal organs, if viewable, four
hours before having their abortion. The women would also have to
listen to the heartbeat of the fetus, measures that are could be
deemed unconstitutional and used as a way to guilt-trip women in
changing their mind.
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Making the decision to terminate one’s
pregnancy cannot be an easy pill to swallow. For women like my
close friend, it was a decision that took heavy
contemplation, and it will be a memory that will be with her
forever. Although a tough decision, at 19 years old she knew she
was not ready to take on the responsibility having a
child.
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While at the clinic, the doctor
administering the abortion asked if she wanted to see the
ultrasound, and because she had
the option not to, she did not view the image. After the Roe v.
Wade court decision women were constitutionally
“font-family: ‘Times New Roman’, serif;”>protected in choosing to have an abortion or not.
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By making this choice — for whatever
reason — they should have the option to proceed with the abortion
without seeing the fetus if they so choose.
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Other states including Florida and Texas
have passed similar ultrasound laws. In Florida, they have included
an opt-out provision by allowing women to skip the description or
viewing of the ultrasound by signing a form. Despite that,
ultrasounds are still required, whether they are medically
necessary or not.
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Women should still be given the option
of refusing images of the fetus prior to an abortion. Only the
woman on that
“font-family: ‘Times New Roman’, serif;”>table knows why she chose to have an abortion, and no outside force should guilt-trip her with images and sounds to try to change her mind.
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—
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@Kelcie_McCrae
- Kelcie C. McCrae,Editor-In-Chief