Life News
Kentucky abortion facilities will not have to provide women with basic information prior to an abortion after a federal judge struck down a state informed consent law Wednesday.
The Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, which passed in January, requires abortionists to perform an ultrasound and describe the image of the unborn baby prior to an abortion. It also requires that women be given the opportunity to hear their unborn baby’s heartbeat, which begins about four weeks after conception.
But U.S. District Judge David Hale blocked the Kentucky law Wednesday, ruling it violates doctors’ First Amendment right to free speech, according to USA Today.
Hale, who was appointed by pro-abortion President Barack Obama, also basically said women are too emotionally fragile to handle basic, scientific facts about human development. It’s more important that they be shielded from the facts and allowed to abort their unborn babies in ignorance, than be told the harsh truth.
“Requiring physicians to force upon their patients the information mandated by [the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act] has more potential to harm the psychological well-being of the patient than to further the legitimate interests of the Commonwealth,” Hale wrote in his decision.The ACLU and EMW Women’s Clinic, the last abortion facility in Kentucky, challenged the law earlier this year.
Gov. Matt Bevin, who is pro-life, has not indicated yet if the state will appeal the ruling.
The Ultrasound Informed Consent Act requires medical staff to perform an ultrasound prior to the abortion and allow the woman to see it if she chooses. It also requires the medical staff to describe the image of the unborn baby, its size, organs and other features and allow the mother to hear the baby’s heartbeat.
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