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| Nebraska State Capitol photo credit: Steven Martin / Flickr |
Nebraska Legislative Bill 814, which passed in August, bans dilation and evacuation (D&E) as a method of abortion. D&E abortions involve an abortionist inserting a type of seaweed called laminaria into the pregnant mother's cervix to cause it to dilate. One or two days later, the abortionist will use tools to further expand the opening before beginning the "evacuation" part of the abortion. Amniotic fluid will be vacuumed out of the mother's uterus, and then the abortionist will use a clamping tool with sharp teeth to reach inside the uterus and tear individual limbs off of the unborn child until only the head is left. An abortionist will use his clamp to crush the head and remove it piece by piece. This method is used during the second trimester, at which point the unborn child's head is too large to remove otherwise.
The Associated Press reported that 95% of abortions after the first trimester are D&E abortions, but Planned Parenthood and infamous late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart say that the new law will not affect their businesses.
“Planned Parenthood is proud to provide our patients with high-quality, nonjudgmental reproductive health care, and that will not change with this new law,” said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Emily Bisek.
Carhart told the Omaha World-Herald that the law is "going to make no difference in what we offer to the populace. We will be able to provide the same quality and level of services we have for many years."
Contradicting Carhart's statement, his business's website shows that he does use D&E as a method of 2nd-trimester abortion.
