Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
What The Language In Abortion Laws Really Means
On Tuesday, Texas Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis embarked on a 13-hour filibuster to try to stop legislation that would effectively ban abortion in the Lone Star State. The new legislation would criminalize abortions in the 20th week of pregnancy, force abortion providers to have hospital-admitting privileges, and would effectively reduce the amount of abortion clinics in the state from 42 to 5.
While it is unconstitutional to ban abortions outright, states like Texas, Wisconsin, Virginia, and a dozen others have been chipping away at women’s right to choose by keeping abortion technically legal but increasingly difficult to obtain. Here’s how they do it.
1. Mandated Psychological Counseling
“Why are you terminating this pregnancy?”
This was the question posed to me during a mandatory counseling session I had to endure before I was able to get an abortion. I panicked. What was the right answer?
I wanted to say, “Because I want to.” But I was afraid I would be denied the procedure. I lied and said I was broke and couldn’t raise a child. This seem to satisfy the Planned Parenthood worker.
Thirty-five states do not allow a woman to undergo an abortion unless she has been “counseled.” The substance of these “counseling sessions” runs the gamut from informing the woman about the purported link between abortion and breast cancer (five states), the ability of a fetus to feel pain (twelve states), long-term mental health consequences of abortion (eight states), or that personhood begins at conception (five states). In several states, a counseling session must be done in person, at the facility, 24 hours before the procedure, meaning at least two trips the facility must be made.
A three-year study of over 300 women, conducted by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, found the 24-hour waiting period had a negative emotional impact on 31% of women surveyed. Nearly half of the women reported additional costs caused by the waiting period — $141 on average — for extra transportation, child care, and other services not related to the abortion.
While it is unconstitutional to ban abortions outright, states like Texas, Wisconsin, Virginia, and a dozen others have been chipping away at women’s right to choose by keeping abortion technically legal but increasingly difficult to obtain. Here’s how they do it.
1. Mandated Psychological Counseling
“Why are you terminating this pregnancy?”
This was the question posed to me during a mandatory counseling session I had to endure before I was able to get an abortion. I panicked. What was the right answer?
I wanted to say, “Because I want to.” But I was afraid I would be denied the procedure. I lied and said I was broke and couldn’t raise a child. This seem to satisfy the Planned Parenthood worker.
Thirty-five states do not allow a woman to undergo an abortion unless she has been “counseled.” The substance of these “counseling sessions” runs the gamut from informing the woman about the purported link between abortion and breast cancer (five states), the ability of a fetus to feel pain (twelve states), long-term mental health consequences of abortion (eight states), or that personhood begins at conception (five states). In several states, a counseling session must be done in person, at the facility, 24 hours before the procedure, meaning at least two trips the facility must be made.
A three-year study of over 300 women, conducted by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, found the 24-hour waiting period had a negative emotional impact on 31% of women surveyed. Nearly half of the women reported additional costs caused by the waiting period — $141 on average — for extra transportation, child care, and other services not related to the abortion.
More:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/natashavc/what-the-language-in-abortion-laws-really-means
9 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
I don't think anything pisses me off quite as much as a group of men discussing women's reproductive choices. 
You miserable pricks. And I don't use that word lightly.
