Home » 4 States Consider Bills To Treat Women Who Get Abortions as Murderers

4 States Consider Bills To Treat Women Who Get Abortions as Murderers

These bills—in Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Carolina—could also imperil IVF practices and threaten care for women with pregnancy complications.

SincethefallofRoev.Wade,billsaimingtocriminalizeabortionprovidershaveproliferated.Butit’srelativelyraretoseelawmakersproposecriminalizingwomenwhoobtainabortions—well,itwasrare,atleast.InJanuary,lawmakersinatleastfourstatesintroducedproposalstomakeintentionallyharmingafertilizedeggorfetuspunishableunderhomicidestatutes,withnoexceptionsforwomenwhogetabortionsunlesstheywereforcedorcoercedintoendingtheirpregnancies. Thesemeasureswouldleavepregnantwomenwhoseekabortionssubjecttocriminalchargessuchasmurder,manslaughter,attemptedmurder,andattemptedmanslaughterandopentowrongfuldeathlawsuitsbroughtbypartnersorfamilymembers. Theycouldalsoseriouslyimperilcareforwomenexperiencingpregnancycomplicationsandhavemajorimplicationsforinvitrofertilizationpractices. Indiana: HouseBill1334wasintroducedbystateRep.LorissaSweet(R–Indianapolis)onJanuary13.