Some truly depressing news: Three anti-choice abortion bills were signed into law today in Louisiana by Gov. Bobby Jindal Wednesday, one of which requires all women to have an ultrasound before being granted an abortion.
With Louisiana abortions already costing anywhere from $80 to $300, this extra cost could have heavy implications on women with low income as well as pregnant victims of rape and incest.
Here's an excerpt from an article from Ms. Magazine:
"The first law requires women seeking abortions in Louisiana to undergo an ultrasound prior to the procedure. There will be no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Opponents remain concerned that the ultrasound requirement, an expensive procedure that may not be available at free clinics, will increase costs and make obtaining abortion services more difficult for women."
"The first law requires women seeking abortions in Louisiana to undergo an ultrasound prior to the procedure. There will be no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Opponents remain concerned that the ultrasound requirement, an expensive procedure that may not be available at free clinics, will increase costs and make obtaining abortion services more difficult for women."
With all the problems the state is facing with the oil spill, the heavy cuts to the higher education budget and the creeping environmental concerns with the coastal erosion, why does Louisiana government believe it is important to focus its time energies on deciding what a woman can and cannot do with her body? This law has the potential to impair a woman's ability to financially access an abortion and interferes with a woman's right to her sexuality. Even rape and incest victims are targeted with this law. Although women can refuse to see the printout of the ultrasound, all women are required to undergo an ultrasound screening examination prior to abortion, regardless of their circumstances.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of Louisiana feminists. While supporters of the bill argue that these laws "empower" women through dissuading compulsive abortions. Is this really what female empowerment has come to? I think not. Empowerment cannot mean stripping women of reproductive liberty. Abortion is one way for a woman to exercise that right.
Check out this link to an article on the Ultrasound before Abortion Act (SB 528) run by the Times-Picayune, which has some more logistics. This article was printed last month, prior to Jindal signing the bills.
In June, Florida Governor Charlie Crist vetoed a bill that would have required most women seeking an abortion to view an ultrasound and listen to a doctor describe the fetus. Other states, such as Mississippi and Texas, have also been pursuing anti-abortion legislation. While Florida may have been a victory for proponents of pro-choice, Louisiana is a frustrating disappointment. It's almost unbelievable to witness in my state this breach of female reproductive rights. However, it could have been worse. According to NPR, the original legislation said the following:
"Anyone seeking an abortion [would be required] to listen to a detailed description of the fetus that included its dimensions and whether arms, legs or internal organs are visible. The woman also would have been required to get a photograph of the ultrasound."
In New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the state's two largest cities, the rate for forcible rape is 1.23 percent and 1.42 percent above the national average. The government better be prepared to deal with the victims of sex crimes in Louisiana, especially now that women victims desiring abortion will face these additional barriers.
Since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade, abortion has been hotly contested all over the U.S., and abortion laws vary by state. I can't help but wonder if we have truly progressed much since that decision. In wake of this new legislation, I hope another abortion case makes it to the supreme court. If Elena Kagan makes it to the bench, I wonder how this national issue will eventually pan out. For now, anti-abortion legislation stands as a present reminder of the fallbacks faced by women, their rights to both their bodies and sexuality, right now in Louisiana.
