Poll: Should Ultrasounds Be Required Before Abortions?

A weakened form of legislation requiring an ultrasound before an abortion is meandering its way through the Virginia Legislature, following outcry that the original bill would have required invasive ultrasounds at early stages of pregnancy.

The original bill in Virginia simply said a woman needed an ultrasound before an abortion—but many lawmakers were unaware of the invasive nature of some ultrasounds, reported TheWashington Post.

Ultrasounds during early stages of pregnancy can involve a probe inserted into the vagina to measure gestational age, a method Democratic Sen. Janet Howell told the Virginian Pilot was “mandating rape.”

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell on Wednesday requested that lawmakers change the bill to say that pre-abortion ultrasounds be external, and a divided Senate Education and Health committee advanced legislation with those proposals Thursday, according to the Virginian Pilot.

McDonnell’s decision to amend the language was not a surprise to some observers. 

“Bob McDonnell’s political future is not enhanced by vaginal ultrasound legislation,” Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, told the Post.

Advocates of ultrasounds before abortions say they give women “informed consent” before making the decision. Opponents, which include the Center for Reproductive Rights, have said such legislation is an invasion of privacy and dignity.

If it passes, Virginia would be the eighth state to require ultrasounds before an abortion, according to The New York Times. Maryland has no such requirement for women seeking abortions but it's a topic getting national attention.

Let us know what you think on our poll or in comments.