Pro-Abortion Politicians Hide the Truth About Ultrasounds

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 4, 2012   |   10:17AM   |   Harrisburg, PA

In a desperate political move, opponents of informed consent legislation are hiding the truth about the use of ultrasounds to safeguard a woman’s health.

Pro-abortion politicians held a rally at the Capitol last week in a shameless effort to make political hay out of a serious issue–the health and safety of women considering an abortion.

These pro-abortion politicians, led by Attorney General candidate Patrick Murphy, overlook the fact that ultrasounds are routinely performed at abortion facilities as a basic standard of care. It is considered good medical practice to perform ultrasounds before abortions take place. In fact, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion operation, performs ultrasounds on women considering abortion as part of its standard protocol.

“If abortion centers are already doing ultrasounds prior to abortions, it’s only fair that a woman get a chance to see the ultrasound image before making a decision as grave as abortion,” said Maria Gallagher, legislative director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life.

“For an abortion center to hide an ultrasound from a woman is cruel and dangerous,” Gallagher added.

At least 23 states have laws on the books regulating the use of ultrasound by abortion providers. As part of informed consent, women considering abortion should have the right to view an ultrasound image of their pregnancy. If a woman has a broken leg, she would expect to see an X-ray of the break. Therefore, it only stands to reason that a pregnant woman should be afforded the opportunity to see an ultrasound.

“Pro-abortion politicians in Harrisburg are practicing bad medicine,” Gallagher said. “Women have a right to all relevant information concerning their pregnancies. To conceal this information is a disservice to women across the Commonwealth.”