Columbia, SC (LifeNews.com) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has signed a bill that would allow women a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before an abortion. The southern state is now the eighteenth to have such a law, which pro-life groups and lawmakers hope will help reduce the number of abortions further.

The bill is another measure designed to give women information they don't normally get from an abortion center and to help reduce abortions.

Under the measure, abortion practitioners are required to tell women they have a right to see the ultrasound one hour before the abortion. When used in crisis pregnancy centers, ultrasounds prompt most women to keep their baby.

"South Carolina becomes the 18th state with legislation giving the mother the option to view the ultrasound of her unborn child before an abortion," South Carolina Citizens for Life director Holly Gatling told LifeNews.com.

Only her state and Oklahoma require the one-hour waiting period after the ultrasound to give women a chance to reflect on the information without feeling pressured to continue with the abortion.

In South Carolina an ultrasound is mandatory if the baby's gestational age is estimated to be 14 weeks or older or is unknown, according to state regulations. The ultrasound remains optional before 14 weeks of pregnancy.

"In all cases the woman must be informed of her right to view the image of her unborn child," Gatling explains.

ACTION: Contact Governor Sanford and thank him for signing the abortion-ultrasound bill. You can send an email online by going to http://www.scgovernor.com/contact/email

Related web sites:
South Carolina Governor - http://www.scgovernor.com
South Carolina Citizens for Life - http://www.sclife.org
South Carolina legislature - http://www.scstatehouse.net