Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a new bill that bans surgical abortions after 16 weeks.
The law makes it illegal to perform the dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedure. D&Es are the standard of care in the U.S. for abortions in the second trimester. There are no safe alternatives for surgical abortions after 16 weeks. The dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, while still legal under the new law, is only used for miscarriages and abortions up to 16 weeks into the pregnancy.
Criminal Implications
Anyone can file a criminal complaint against a doctor who performs an abortion using the D&E procedure. Anyone.
Including a man who raped a woman. Including her husband, father, or neighbor. Even the woman herself can file the complaint.
Although it’s highly unlikely that a rapist would file such a complaint, under the new law this scenario is now a plausible reality.
Such complaints lead to criminal investigations and, if found to have merit, a physician would face class D felony charges resulting in up to 6 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The sole exemption is:
“Serious health risk to the pregnant woman.”
There is no exemption for rape or incest.
In the end, the law will effectively cause doctors to be unwilling to perform D&Es.
Women’s Safety Is At Much Greater Risk
The law is not a ban on all abortions after 16 weeks, but it forces doctors to perform riskier medical abortions (i.e., induced labor) instead of surgical abortions. Complications, including infertility and death, occur in a staggering 29 percent of women who have medical abortions. In comparison, only four percent of women experience complications with surgical abortions.
In addition to physical complications, induced labor in the second trimester can be a psychological nightmare. The decision to end a second or third-trimester pregnancy generally arises out of a crisis situation and the circumstances surrounding them can be heartbreaking.
Thankfully, few need to make that choice.
Watch this video about the new law, and how Planned Parenthood is joining the ACLU to defend women and their right to choose to have an abortion:
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
