EXCEPTIONS?
Florida’s abortion ban allows for a few exceptions, such as in cases of rape or incest, danger to the mother’s life or irreversible impairment of “a major bodily function”, and “fatal” abnormalities of the fetus.
However, the report argues that the law poorly defines the exceptions – leading to delays or even refusal of care.
For instance, the state defines fatal fetal abnormalities as “a terminal condition” that is “incompatible with life outside the womb and will result in death upon birth or imminently thereafter”.
One practitioner interviewed for the report told a story of a patient who had two children die at four months of age due to a rare genetic disease.
When her next pregnancy was diagnosed with the same disease, the patient wanted an abortion, but “nobody felt comfortable saying that this is lethal immediately postdelivery”.
The patient ended up travelling out of state for an abortion, though the report notes that not all patients have this option.
“WHAT IS RIGHT”
Similar dilemmas arise when doctors try to determine what qualifies for an exception with a pregnancy that threatens the mother’s life.
One doctor reported he had to defend the necessity of an abortion to several hospital officials when a patient had an estimated 10 per cent risk of death if she continued her pregnancy.
“I had to hear these people say, ‘Well, is 10 per cent a lot? Is that enough?'” the doctor recounted. He was eventually allowed to perform the abortion weeks later.
The report also said restricting abortion has led to delayed mismanagement of miscarriages out of fear they will be treated as abortions.
Doctors who do not want to risk legal issues end up passing on treatment, lengthening wait times which could lead to complications.
“It is a hard situation to be in just trying to do what is legal but also do what is right,” said one medical professional.
Source: CNA
