A Supreme Court decision sends a message to states that don't have required informed consent laws concerning abortion.
The case of Acuna v. Turkish comes from New Jersey, which has no such law for women seeking an abortion. Mailee Smith, an attorney with Americans United for Life (AUL), explains the situation.
"A woman had gone to an abortionist, had asked some questions about the status of the baby, and the abortionist did not give her truthful answers about the status of her pregnancy and the gestational characteristics of her unborn child," Smith contends.
The woman learned the truth about her developing baby after she had the abortion, but it was too late. She then sued in a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court has refused to hear the case.
"What this case does is...highlight the drastic need for what we call informed consent legislation in the states," Smith adds.
Many states do have the informed consent laws that require accurate information to be given to the woman about abortion, the status of the child, and the possible harmful impact on the mother. Smith suggests a woman seeking an abortion deserves full information about the life-or-death decision she is making.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Source URL: http://www.onenewsnow.com
Publish Date: October 14, 2008
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