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EDITORIAL: Ultra-Meddling: Ultrasound Rule Intrudes on Care, Rights of Women

Posted on: Friday, 24 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Detroit Free Press

Mar. 24--Once again, Michigan is inserting government between women and their doctors for political reasons that do nothing to advance patient care.

The Legislature passed an expansion of Michigan's already intrusive informed-consent law, which requires doctors to load down women considering abortion with lots of pamphlets and images, then sends them away to think it over for another 24 hours, as if it hasn't already been occupying their minds.

If Gov. Jennifer Granholm signs the new bill, as expected, doctors or their assistants who perform pre-abortion ultrasounds will have to get women to sign forms swearing they've been given the chance to view the images and been offered one to take home. Most doctors perform such ultrasounds to assess the development of the fetus.

Granholm's office contends the bill regulates nothing, because women can say no and doctors already fill out informed-consent forms. Doctors say it's unnecessary, because letting patients watch ultrasounds is standard practice and the required additional documentation just diverts their attention from patients. Right to Life says women aren't given any chance to see their tests, and this is another "important step" in bringing a halt to abortions.

However it is framed, this sort of state nannyism is wrong. Making a doctor fill out one more form that has nothing to do with good medicine is ridiculous. Asking a woman who may be terminating a dangerous pregnancy to look at what she's losing is cruel.

Michigan has only a handful of medical "informed consent" laws, which generally involve sexuality and primarily affect women. The male-dominated Legislature should stop presuming that Michigan women cannot manage their own health care.

In an election year, this bill gives Granholm and legislators cover from Right to Life. But it does nothing to advance medicine or women's health. It's just another in a long line of tactics to intimidate women from having abortions and doctors from performing them -- despite their legal rights.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Detroit Free Press

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Source: Detroit Free Press

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