The New Intimacy

Should a woman who wants an abortion be forced to get an ultrasound?

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Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
(Review Program Mentor)
Swiping something across their belly to confirm the age and position of the baby? Maybe.

Making them undergo a procedure that's uncomfortable and out dated? Not at all.
02/29/2012
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
Nope. No one should be forced to do anything if they haven't broken the law.
02/29/2012
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
My opinion is always that the government should mind their business.

I had one of those ultrasounds done when I was pregnant. Perhaps we're behind the times here or I wasn't far along enough for the abdomen one to pick anything up. They are not fun, for the record.
02/29/2012
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
It seems too much like rape to me.

"You want something, I have to put this in your body."
02/29/2012
Contributor: Femme Mystique Femme Mystique
Absolutely not. At the core, it's a completely unnecessary medical procedure in nearly all cases.
02/29/2012
Contributor: Kindred Kindred
Performing an US prior to an abortion is not necessarily unusual. It is typically performed to assess the stage of the fetus. Most abortions are done very early in the pregnancy and so the intravaginal probe is necessary since a transabdominal is not sensitive enough. The issue, at least with the bill in VA, is that the mother would be forced to watch and listen to the doctors procedure as it was being performed. Make no doubts, the intent was to shame the mother and hope they reconsider. In the VA bill, the mother is even responsible for the cost.
02/29/2012
Contributor: ellejay ellejay
Absolutely not.
02/29/2012
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
BTW - you would be interested to know that the VA house rep who pushed this bill is getting the Lysistrata Protocol on his ass after his wife found out about it.
02/29/2012
Contributor: Tuesday Tuesday
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
An ultrasound should be performed to see how far along she is, but she shouldn't be forced to view said ultrasound or be shamed during the procedure. Unfortunately, some nurses just can't help but put their two cents in on the matter. (I ... more
You don't need an ultrasound to determine how far along a pregnancy is. Uteri/fetuses grow at predictable rates. They can tell week by week how far along you are just by feel.
02/29/2012
Contributor: MrWishyWashy MrWishyWashy
A big HELL NO!
02/29/2012
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
I'm waiting for one of the 14% who said it SHOULD be mandated to speak up!
02/29/2012
Contributor: Modern^Spank^Anthem Modern^Spank^Anthem
Not sure
02/29/2012
Contributor: geliebt geliebt
Transvaginal- absolutely not, never ever.
Abdominal- maybe. HOWEVER, not just in EVERY case for no good reason. Why make the poor woman pay for ONE MORE THING on top of everything else, if it's not medically necessary?
This whole thing is fucking insane and makes me RAGE really fucking hard.
03/01/2012
Contributor: PDXlady PDXlady
I hate this BS law for so many reasons!
03/01/2012
Contributor: curious kitten curious kitten
More BIG BROTHER THINKING. When does it stop.
03/03/2012
Contributor: MR Chickhabit MR Chickhabit
Quote:
Originally posted by curious kitten
More BIG BROTHER THINKING. When does it stop.
when we rise up.
03/04/2012
Contributor: smashthepatriarchy smashthepatriarchy
Planned Parenthood requires ultrasounds previous to in-clinic procedures. However, you do not have to look at the screen - they only did it to ensure that the pregnancy is not ectopic.

However, it should not be mandated the way the GOP wants.
03/04/2012
Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
The GOP needs to stay get the fuck out of people lives, small government my ass (note your ass is possible the next place they might mandate putting something in). Abortion is legal and protected. We would never tolerate the government trying to burden the free exercises of any other right the way we do with women's rights and that is seriously fucked up.
03/05/2012
Contributor: aliceinthehole aliceinthehole
Quote:
Originally posted by Rawhide
Any ultrasound, invasive or not. This is the question circulating our legislators right now, thanks to the GOP.
as if it's not hard enough to have an abortion when you're emotionally, financially, or otherwise just unable to give the child the life it needs... as if it's not hard enough to make that decision, maybe the most difficult decision you'll ever have to make, the government mandating you be forced to see the fetus just... makes it that much harder.


we're so overpopulated. why is everyone against abortion? if we weren't so freaking overpopulated, many of the issues such as pollution, poverty, etc, would be far less.
03/06/2012
Contributor: aliceinthehole aliceinthehole
Quote:
Originally posted by Mwar
I wish men could take a pill or something so they could experience the symptoms of pregnancy. Sure, it would only scratch the surface, but maybe it will let them get an inkling of what it's like.

Let them get pregnant. Then see how they feel.
good idea! now to invent the pill...
03/06/2012
Contributor: destinationtwilight destinationtwilight
Quote:
Originally posted by Rawhide
Any ultrasound, invasive or not. This is the question circulating our legislators right now, thanks to the GOP.
I think it should be asked of but not forced.
03/07/2012
Contributor: destinationtwilight destinationtwilight
Quote:
Originally posted by Rawhide
Any ultrasound, invasive or not. This is the question circulating our legislators right now, thanks to the GOP.
This is a tuff subject.
03/07/2012
Contributor: Silverdrop Silverdrop
Actually mandating a medical procedure - that's something the government should only do in cases where the actual public safety is involved - vaccinations or quarantines and the like. Otherwise, medical decisions should be made by the doctor and patient, not by anyone else.
03/07/2012
Contributor: SubmissiveFeminist SubmissiveFeminist
If I'm right, this law says you have to get an ultrasound but not that you have to look at it. Women facing abortion are going to do it because they feel like it is the right choice. Making them go through emotional pain isn't going to change that. I think this law is cruel.

Also, consider the amount of money wasted on the ultrasounds of aborted pregnancies. This isn't a smart use of money, if you ask me.
03/11/2012
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Why does the Far Right only want "the government out of our lives" when it comes to looking into and TAXING the way they make disgusting excesses of money yet wants government all OVER the lives of women and the poor?

They don't think "mandating" a women who needs a medical procedure be forcibly raped with an ultrasound wand and forced to watch the images on the screen is "Big Government?"
03/11/2012
Contributor: TexasBrat TexasBrat
Quote:
Originally posted by Rawhide
Any ultrasound, invasive or not. This is the question circulating our legislators right now, thanks to the GOP.
No, I don't believe that this should be a required thing. Abortions are so controversial anyway, trying to get the pro-lifers up in arms to get more ways to prevent people from having them out of guilt is ridiculous. People that get them have made a hard decision, and we should respect that. Most that get them, take a lot of time to decide, and it's not easy. Who are we to judge???
03/15/2012
Contributor: Owl Identified Owl Identified
I'm truly and honestly terrified of my country's political system.
03/15/2012
Contributor: swaggsohott12 swaggsohott12
no b/c women pay to go to those abortion classes and after they get the ultrasound they feel guilty, change their minds and lose their money
03/16/2012
Contributor: tinadice tinadice
Quote:
Originally posted by Rawhide
Any ultrasound, invasive or not. This is the question circulating our legislators right now, thanks to the GOP.
no!
03/16/2012
Contributor: Rin (aka Nire) Rin (aka Nire)
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
It seems too much like rape to me.

"You want something, I have to put this in your body."
Indeed. It's suspicious that they want to mandate invasive ultrasounds since (as P'Gell has pointed out) it's outdated, and just seems like an attempt to punish or humiliate women who want abortions.

And heaven help me, I heard on the radio the other day that one of the guys for it said he was reconsidering because he didn't originally look into how uncomfortable and invasive the procedure actually is.

Well it's good to know that the guys who try to make these laws DON'T EVEN BOTHER RESEARCHING WHAT THEY WANT DONE!!!

Stay the fuck out of my vagina, already.
03/16/2012