The Conservative Cave
Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chris_ on October 20, 2009, 09:27:02 PM
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New Oklahoma Abortion Law Violates Patient Privacy, Critics Charge
Abortion rights advocates are lashing out at a new law in Oklahoma that in less than two weeks will require doctors to release detailed information -- which will be posted on a public Web site -- about all women who have abortions in the state.
The law, which will take effect on Nov. 1, compels the Oklahoma Department of Health to publish data online on all abortion patients -- including the woman's race, marital status, financial circumstances, years of education, number of previous pregnancies, and her reason for seeking the abortion. Doctors who fail to provide such information will be criminally penalized and stripped of their medical licenses.
The Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act has outraged many abortion rights activists who say it is a blatant violation of patient privacy rights and is meant to intimidate women from seeking abortions. The law also prohibits the use of abortion for sex-selection.
"The law itself is contrary to our Constitution," said Lora Joyce Davis, an Oklahoma resident who, along with former state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton, has filed a lawsuit over the measure.
The law does not permit women's names to be posted, but it does require them to provide answers to 37 questions -- including the county where the abortion is performed. Davis, who is working closely with the New York-based abortion rights group Center for Reproductive Rights, said such detailed demographic information will make it possible to identify patients, especially those who live in small towns.
"These are women who are already in a tragic situation, and the law will expose them about a very, very personal matter," Davis told Foxnews.com on Tuesday. "It's a violation of patient privacy rights to put that information up there."
Yeah, they're all concerned about privacy even though the names are not released. Seems a bit more "tragic" for the baby being killed to me. :banghead:
MORE (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/20/new-oklahoma-abortion-law-violates-patient-privacy-critics-charge/?test=latestnews)
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I don't agree with this. At all. It's going from one extreme to another.
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There was a big bonfire on Skins Island a week or so ago about this. I don't see the problem, it will provide some needed statistics on ways to maybe help reduce abortions.