Latest abortion bill another attempt to control relationship between patients, doctors

Since the Republican supermajority was elected in 2010, North Carolina has passed some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation. Now Republicans are trying to threaten doctors with criminal action and shame patients over practice not based in the reality of abortion care.

The latest Republican abortion bill is another attack on health care using sensationalist claims not based in science. Republicans are once again using an extreme agenda to intimidate patients and their doctors. This bill is part of an extreme agenda that seeks to ban abortion outright.

• It is extremely rare for an infant to be born alive after an attempted abortion because it is extremely rare for abortions to be performed after 24 weeks, or the time a healthy fetus is potentially able to survive outside of the womb.
• S359 seeks to “protect survivors” of abortions by requiring doctors to use all means available to save the life of an infant born alive after an attempted abortion

• Doctors who fail to follow the law as prescribed in S356 could be subject to felony charges and health care practitioners would be required to report noncompliance.
• There are already rigorous standards and requirements placed on abortion care.

• A similar national bill would require doctors to use all means available to save the life of an infant born alive after an attempted abortion.
• Currently, in rare cases where a baby is born alive after a pregnancy is cut short, families have a choice about the next course of action. This bill would force doctors to attempt resuscitation, even if against the wishes of the family.
• North Carolina House Republicans filed several abortion restrictions in 2019, including a 13-week abortion ban that would make North Carolina the state with the earliest abortion ban in the US outside bans that have been blocked by courts.

Bottom Line: Everyone should have access to the full range of reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. Women deserve to have accurate information about all of their health care options so they can make their own, fully informed health care decisions.