When legislators play doctor: the ethics of mandatory preabortion ultrasound examinations.
Many states have proposed or enacted laws that mandate that women undergo ultrasonography before electing pregnancy termination. In some cases, the legislation prescribes the form of ultrasound examination, requires that a woman review the images produced, or both. Although ultrasonography may be a part of good and standard care before many abortion procedures, we argue that legislating imaging procedures inappropriately limits women's autonomy and undermines the physician-patient relationship as well as the physician's professional obligations to the patient. The timing, context, and way in which ultrasonography, or any medical test, is used and viewed should be decisions made between patient and provider, not decisions scripted by law.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maimonides Medical Center, SUNY Downstate, New York, New York 11219, USA. hminkoff@maimonidesmed.org
Howard
H
Minkoff
Jeffrey
J
Ecker
D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D011247:Pregnancy; D013219:State Government; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000941:ethics*; D014481:United States