title: Reproductive Health Services v. Webster, 17 March 1987, amended on 30 April 1987.
abstract: The plaintiff physicians and organizations providing abortion-related services challenged the constitutionality of provisions of a Missouri statute that a) state that life begins at conception and that unborn children have a protectable interest in life, health, and well being; b) require a physician to inform a woman seeking an abortion of certain facts; c) require all post sixteen-week abortions to be performed in a hospital; d) require certain tests to be performed in order to determine gestational age and viability; and e) prohibit the use of public funds, public employees, and public facilities for performing or assisting an abortion or encouraging or counseling an abortion except to save a woman's life. The Court ruled that all of these provisions were unconstitutional and in conflict with its previous rulings on a woman's right to obtain an abortion. In a related case the United States District Court, E.D. Missouri, E.D., held that the plaintiff physicians could not attack a statement of intent of the same law, which provides that "It is the intention of the general assembly of the state of Missouri to grant the right to life to all humans, born and unborn, and to regulate abortion to the full extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States, decisions of the United States Supreme Court, and federal statutes." See Women's Health Ctr. of West Cty. v. Webster, 24 September 1987, 670 F.Supp. 845.
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000569:Americas; D019049:Developed Countries; D004467:Economics; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005333:Fetus; D005376:Financial Management; D005380:Financing, Government; D006806:Human Rights; D007206:Individuality; D007258:Informed Consent; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D008923:Missouri; D009656:North America; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States
keywords: Abortion Law; Abortion, Induced--legal aspects; Americas; Developed Countries; Economic Factors; Family Planning; Fertility Control, Postconception; Fetus--legal aspects; Financial Activities; Financing, Government--legal aspects; Human Rights--legal aspects; Informed Consent--legal aspects; Measurement; Missouri; North America; Northern America; Personhood--legal aspects; Pregnancy; Reproduction; Research Methodology; Testing--legal aspects; United States