Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signs ban on sex-selection abortion

On Wednesday, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law a ban on abortions sought due to the sex of the child. Abortionists who violate the ban could be subject to fines as well as jail time.

Rep. Charlie Collins, the bill’s sponsor, said his idea was inspired partially by the disastrous effects of sex-selection abortions, primarily targeting girls, in countries such as China. In a 2011 article for the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Therese Hesketh, M.D., Ph.D.; Li Lu, M.D., Ph.D.; and Zhu Wei Xing, M.D., MPH, explain:

While abortion advocates have argued that “son preference” is not as common in Western nations as a means of dismissing the need for such a ban, this is not the point. Regardless of how prevalent a belief is, either it is healthy for society and the individuals in that society or it is not. The idea that it is acceptable to kill a preborn baby for being female, while sparing him if he happens to be male, is primitive, sexist, and otherwise problematic.

Pro-life groups praised the ban as a step forward for equal rights. “Arkansas’s governor and legislative leaders are to be commended for addressing the shocking problem of sex selection abortions which disproportionately target baby girls,” said Americans United for Life Vice President of Legal Affairs Denise Burke.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokesperson Ashley Wright conceded that gender discrimination is a problem but claimed that the ban “does nothing to address that issue.”

A past undercover Live Action investigation found Planned Parenthood employees in five states willing to help women obtain abortions solely because they stated they didn’t want their preborn babies due to the gender:

Sex-Selective Abortion: Part 2 - Undercover in NYC

The ACLU has indicated intent to challenge the ban in court. The ban is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2018.