I wrote last week about North Dakota's new law prohibiting sex-selective and Down syndrome-selective abortions. What will the law's impact be, and will it be struck down as unconstitutional? Continue Reading
April 3, 2013
Does the North Dakota law banning Down syndrome-selective abortions impose an undue burden?
April 2, 2013
Outlawing abortion won’t help children with Down syndrome? History might suggest otherwise.
Earlier this week, the New York Times Motherlode blog featured a post by Alison Piepmeier with the headline: "Outlawing abortion won't help children with Down syndrome?" Much of what she wrote echoed points I have made previously, but there is a distinction based on historical examples. Continue Reading
March 26, 2013
North Dakota enacts law banning Down syndrome-selective abortion
Yesterday, the Governor of North Dakota signed House Bill 1305, prohibiting sex-selective abortion and abortion for genetic abnormality. That same day, the Governor also signed a law banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. As a result, with abortion being invoked, the media reporting and instant comments devolved into pro-life/pro-choice arguments. But let's look at the actual language of the law that concerns Down syndrome abortions and see what it actually says before we choose Continue Reading
March 11, 2013
Paradoxical Genes
I had reason to refer to a column of mine, published a few years ago, called "My Daughter's Paradoxical Genes." It addresses the paradox of the ACOG recommendation that all women be offered prenatal testing for Down syndrome, but a separate ACOG ethics committee condemns the use of prenatal testing for sex selective abortion. The column remains one of my favorites, and the paradox still has yet to be explained by ACOG. You can read the full article at this link. Continue Reading
March 1, 2013
Lower termination rate = higher terminations?
Today, at a column at Amy Julia Becker's blog, I explain how the math works out to explain the headline and the graphic for this post. I hope you will visit her blog and my column at this link. Continue Reading
Comments due on UK inquiry into abortion for disability
The United Kingdom's Parliament is re-examining the Abortion Act of 1967, specifically Ground E which permits abortion at any time on the basis of disability. Comments are due tomorrow, March 6, 2013, by 12 pm, EST. Read on for the link and how to receive a template for your comment. Continue Reading