| This marks the first week that the infamous Texas sonogram law was enforced. (It's been in effect at many clinics since the law was passed in October, but now there are some teeth behind it.) And not surprisingly, it a) hasn't changed any women's minds, b) is a major hassle for women already making a difficult decision, and c) is a hassle for doctors and clinics.
The law doesn't just require that women get a sonogram before getting an abortion. They also have to listen to the doctor describe the fetus' features and listen to its heartbeat. From a logistical perspective, this means women have to schedule two appointments - one for the sonogram, followed by one at least 24 hours later to actually terminate the pregnancy. So it's twice the sick leave, twice the child care, twice the transportation. You can read more about what exactly is involved, as well as the long and torrid legal history, here.
The director of Texas Right to Life claims in a very Orwellian twist that the sonogram law actually empowers women, and that we need to stop "underestimating the capability of women to make a decision with more information, not less." Indeed, she says, keeping this information from them is paternalistic. Except even these newly "empowered" women are making the same decisions that they had made before they were forced to endure the sonograms. According to the New York Times:
"Clinic directors said they have not had a single woman change her mind in the 24-hour period between her sonogram and her abortion. Abortion opponents and advocates for crisis pregnancy centers say that anecdotally, they have not heard of any either."
So it turns out that women tend to know what they're doing when they make major decisions about their health and families. Harassment doesn't really change it. Even the anti-choice groups haven't been able to rustle up any cases that indicate otherwise.
But unfortunately, the legal battle has been put to rest for now. Today the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request to reconsider the suit, so it looks like it's not going anywhere.
Maybe we should take a page from the book of a State Senator in Virginia who, in response to their own proposed sonogram law, introduced an amendment that "would require men to have a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication."
More on the Texas Sonogram Law on Burnt Orange Report:
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