Ultrasounds are necessary, says abortion textbook

A textbook on how to perform abortions, written by a late term abortionist who has been practicing for decades, talks about how important ultrasounds are for abortionists…

Sonographic examination is invaluable for a variety of reasons. Aside from more accurate assessment of fetal age than other methods, it provides information concerning fetal presentation, placental location, multiple gestations, and such unexpected conditions as hydatidiform mole, myomas, uterine structural abnormalities, and extrauterine lesions (e.g. ovarian cysts). Many of these data can affect clinical management in important ways.

While ultrasound is not perfect, it appears to be considerably more accurate for determining fetal age than are menstrual dates and even a careful examination by an experienced physician.

Dr. Warren Hern, whose medical textbook Abortion Practice I quoted from, is practicing in Boulder, Colorado, and does abortions all the way up until birth.  In articles I’ve written about him before, I quoted him complaining about the stigma of being an abortionist and discussed his attitude towards late-term abortion.

A medical textbook on how to do abortions, written by a prominent abortionist, sets forth a guideline for other abortionists that ultrasounds should be used before abortions. This implies that ultrasounds are regularly used in abortion centers.

There is more concrete evidence that the majority of abortion clinics use ultrasound. According to a study done in 2002, 99% of Planned Parenthood facilities give women ultrasounds before abortion.

Think of this next time you hear a pro-choicer complain about mandating “unnecessary” ultrasounds.  Ultrasounds are standard medical practice in the abortion business. Most abortion facilities already do them. The question is whether or not the woman will be allowed to see the image. All too often, they are denied the chance to see their baby on the screen.

One of many, many examples is this by a woman who told her story on the website Pregnant Pause. When she went to the abortion center:

I first did an ultrasound, which they wouldn’t let me see. They said I was exactly 8 weeks along. I asked, “What does it look like,” picturing a little thing with arms and legs. They said very curtly, “It looks like a tiny fetus,” and shut off the machine.

The pro-choice argument that requiring ultrasounds means an extra, unnecessary step for women getting abortions is false. Ultrasounds are standard medical practice. Abortion providers like Planned Parenthood oppose laws about letting women see the ultrasound not because they force Planned Parenthood to do something they don’t already do, but because they prevent the abortion facilities from deceiving women by hiding the screen.