By Dave Andrusko
According to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, formerly the in-house think-tank for Planned Parenthood, abortions in North Carolina fell by more than 30% after the state’s new law placing restrictions on abortion including a 12-week limitation on when abortions may be performed, took effect. This compares with a 7% decline nationally, according to Guttmacher’s Isaac Maddow-Zimet who led the study.
“North Carolina abortion clinics performed more than 4,200 abortions in June, but just 2,920 abortions in July,” Carter Sherman reported for The Guardian. Significantly, “Nearby states did not see a comparable surge in abortions.”
Nathaniel Weixel reported that “A previous Guttmacher analysis, published last month, showed that abortions increased in states that were either close to or bordering those with abortion bans or strict limitations.” However, “as abortions dropped significantly in North Carolina in July, there wasn’t a corresponding increase in South Carolina, Virginia, the District of Columbia or Maryland.”
The law also requires that women show up foran in-personconsultation at an abortion clinic at least 72 hours before their abortion.
Meanwhile Judge Kathreen Eagles has stopped the provision that abortionists be required to do an ultrasound on women prior to prescribing the chemical abortion pill, mifepristone. “This provision was in place to rule out possible ectopic pregnancy, which is a life-threatening condition, but even more so if the woman takes an abortifacient drug” according to North Carolina Right to Life. She also “has placed an injunction on the provision that was about to go into effect on October 1, which would have required abortions past 12 weeks be performed in a hospital,” North Carolina Right to Life reported.
“The new law allows these second and third trimester abortions to be performed in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly and danger to the life of the mother,” Dr. Bill Pincus, President of NCRTL explained.
Pro-abortion Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed “The Care for Women, Children and Families Act” but the Republican-led legislature overrode his veto on May 16th. The Senate voted 30-20 to override the veto and the House followed with their vote to override the veto with a vote of 72-48.