Legal News

Ultrasounds & the Law

By Dan Slater

In the tug-o-war over abortion rights, are ultrasounds the next frontier?

Over at Slate, Emily Bazelon has an essay entitled “Required Viewing: Oklahoma’s gallingly paternalistic ultrasound law.” Oklahoma, apparently, is one of four states — the others are Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi — to pass a law that mandates ultrasounds for pregnant women prior to getting an abortion.

In Oklahoma, reports Bazelon, the law, which is scheduled to take effect next month, requires that either the doctor performing the abortion or a “certified technician” do the ultrasound, “provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting,” and “display the ultrasound images so that the pregnant woman may view them.” The patient then has to certify in writing that the doctor or technician complied. She can avert her eyes from the screen, the statute reportedly allows.

“Maybe the legislators should have also thought to mention putting her hands over her ears,” writes Bazelon.

The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the statute in court earlier this month on behalf of one of the Oklahoma’s abortion providers.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on October 22, 2008 (boomark / email).