Indiana Republicans Advance Transvaginal Ultrasound Bill

[AngryOldDem]

28. I'll tell you how it affects a woman.

It is traumatizing as hell. What you see in that picture with the OP is what the wand looks like. They put a glob of K-Y jelly on it for easier insertion, and then they give it to you to put it in. Once you position it where they want it, they take over and more or less use it as a diving rod. It is uncomfortable, and for some women, it can be painful, especially if it bumps up against an organ.

I had two of these unspeakable procedures done while pregnant...and to be honest those were the worst medical "tests" I have ever had. The first, looking back, was totally unnecessary (I was miscarrying, and by that point nothing could have been done); at the second (to check on another pregnancy) I damned near passed out because of the stress and the bad memories associated with the first one. To this day, nearly 15 years later, I have such a visceral reaction to these stories that I almost lose it.

This is legalized rape. Legalized SELF-rape, that is, since you have a part in it. And it serves NO diagnostic purpose. What you see when you are at the stage where only a transvag will work is nothing like what you see 12 or 13 weeks into a pregnancy. I fail to see how this will make any woman who wants to exercise her legal right change her mind. But then, I don't think that's the true motive to doing this. This is purely punitive, and abusive, and making the woman "pay" for her choice.

Rachel Maddow had a segment on this the other night, and she actually quoted a woman legislator (I think) who had the absolute GALL to say that since the woman didn't have an issue with something put into her vagina in the first place, she shouldn't have a problem with a transvag. How in the FUCK can you argue with someone like that, who can't tell the difference between consent and being forced to undergo a medical procedure against one's will? Rachel was kind of laughing in disbelief, but dammit, this is no laughing matter.

The kicker to this Indiana law is, that once the woman has the abortion, she has to COME BACK and have ANOTHER transvag to confirm that the pregnancy is indeed terminated. WTF??? I've not been able to find this bill, but I'm curious to know just what the penalty is if she chooses NOT to have the second one. Also, will the state pay for this, or will the woman have to take her chances with insurance, if she has insurance?

I guess I should be thankful that I should be glad my childbearing years are over, given that I was prone to miscarriage and high-risk pregnancies, because where this is going, it's only going to be a matter of time before even miscarriages are considered potential crimes and women will be under criminal suspicion for those.

Sorry for the long post, but this really, really upsets me.

ON EDIT: I further can't imagine the emotional trauma that a woman who has been raped will feel, knowing that she will be raped AGAIN -- and AGAIN -- by her state government. There are no just no words.