Abortion center appears to attempt end run around Down syndrome abortion ban

Preterm Cleveland, an Ohio abortion facility, seems to be hinting on its website that women should keep their reasons for abortion to themselves if they’re seeking abortions due to a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

As The Daily Caller reported, the facility’s website immediately opens with a popup message:

Yes! It is legal in Ohio to get an abortion for any reason.

Under a new Ohio law, we cannot provide an abortion if we know that the reason is in whole or in part because of a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis.

Preterm is open and seeing patients. Please call us with any questions or concerns.

Screenshot from the Preterm website.

Preterm Cleveland’s message appears designed to give women seeking abortion due to Down syndrome a chance to conceal their reason. The website goes on to advise, “If you are ending a pregnancy because of a fetal anomaly or abnormality, we are sensitive to the fact that you may be experiencing profound grief. We are committed to providing you with excellent medical care and emotional support,” as the Daily Caller reported.

The facility committed 4,102 abortions in 2020, according to its annual report.

READ: Parents refuse to abort son with Down syndrome and heart defect: ‘Jacob has amazed us’

In Ohio, ending the life of a preborn baby because he or she has Down syndrome is illegal. HB217, passed in 2017, makes it a 4th degree felony for any physician to knowingly commit on abortion for a woman because the baby has Down syndrome. The law also requires the state medical board to revoke the physician’s license to practice medicine in the state of Ohio, and subjects the physician to “civil action for compensatory and exemplary damages and reasonable attorney’s fees.”

HB217 was subject to years of litigation before finally taking effect in April 2021 after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 9-7 decision in favor of the law.

Down syndrome is a non-fatal genetic condition that results from the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. Especially in recent years, people with Down syndrome have been shattering misconceptions, making impacts in their local communities, and leading rich and full lives.

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