The Oklahoma Legislature's Invasive, Anti-Choice Legislation

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise at 1:02 PM on April 29, 2008.

Anti-choicers in Oklahoma want to force women to undergo ultrasounds in order to obtain abortions.

These are non-therapeutic ultrasounds that are imposed for the sole purpose of showing the woman a picture of her own fetus.

The height of arrogance anti-choice arrogance is on display in this legislation: 'Excuse me, lady, you say you want an abortion. Did you realize that there's a fetus in there? You don't know what you're doing. Let me stick this tube into you, so that you can be competent to make a decision.'

The law requires the doctor to use whatever form of ultrasound that will yield the best pictures:

Under the guise of obtaining informed patient consent, this new law requires doctors to withhold pregnancy termination until an ultrasound is performed. The law states that either an abdominal or vaginal ultrasound, whichever gives the best image of the fetus, must be done. Neither the patient nor the doctor can decide which type of ultrasound to use, and the patient cannot opt out of the ultrasound and still have the procedure. In effect, then, the legislature has mandated that a woman have an instrument placed in her vagina for no medical benefit. The law makes no exception for victims of rape and incest. [Alternet]

Tagged as: abortion, choice, oklahoma