Oklahoma abortion law ‘like undressing women in public’

By Daniel Tencer
Sunday, October 18th, 2009 -- 3:09 pm
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abortionsigns 092408 Oklahoma abortion law like undressing women in publicA new Oklahoma law that forces women who have had abortions to post details of the procedure online is being sharply criticized by women's rights groups, and is now being challenged in court by two Oklahoma women.

As of November 1, doctors in Oklahoma will be compelled -- under penalty of criminal prosecution -- to post the details of each abortion they perform online. Among the details to be posted for every abortion is the patient's age, marital status and race; her financial condition; her education; and the total number of her previous pregnancies.

In all, 37 personal questions will have to be asked and answered, and posted publicly for the world to see, under the new law.

"A friend said it best: It's like undressing women in public, exposing their most personal issues on the Internet," Lora Joyce Davis, one of the plaintiffs suing to prevent the law from coming into effect, told ABC News.

While the abortion patient's name will not be published, "critics say the first eight questions alone could easily lead to the identification of a woman who lives in one of the state's many small communities," ABC reports.

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Davis is convinced the lives of Oklahoma women who receive abortions will be threatened by the law, which is known as the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act.

"Women who have abortions are considered murderers by many people, and you are going to put the name of a town of 200 and the fact that the girl is 17 and it's her first pregnancy and she in the 10th grade. People are going to know who it is," Davis said.

Davis, along with former state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton, filed the lawsuit with the help of the Center for Reproductive Rights. The lawsuit seeks to have the law declared unconstitutional under the Oklahoma Constitution because it covers more than one subject.

Jennifer Mondino, a lawyer for CRR, told the UK Guardian that the law is designed to "make women more nervous about going to [abortion] doctors."

"The intent of this law is to further restrict access to abortions in Oklahoma," she said. "There are a number of states that have a reporting requirement but not as broad and detailed as in Oklahoma. It's very unusual to consider putting such detail about patients on a Web site."

The law has come under extreme criticism from social activists. The Feminists for Choice blog declares the law invalid under the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

"A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to assure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high quality health care and to protect the public’s health and well being," blogger Reyna writes. "This law does quite the opposite. Instead of protecting patients, this law puts these [women] in danger."

"Why don't we just tattoo a Scarlett "A" on their foreheads?" blogger Mike the Mad Biologist asks at ScienceBlogs.

According to CCR, nearly one-quarter of women in the United States have to travel more than 50 miles for an abortion. The number of abortion doctors in the US has declined 25 percent since 1992, and a full 87 percent of US counties don't have an abortion provider, despite the Supreme Court declaring the procedure legal in 1973.

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Story comments are below...
  • Zoes
    This is ridiculous. Do they want these women to be attacked and persecuted? Well of course they do because of their own twisted beliefs. If this law passes violence is going increase against women who have abortion and that is so wrong.
  • DougI
    This just shows that when the bible thumping conservatives take over their Big Brother government will invade every aspect of your personal life.
  • schmice
    That's right. Don't they keep railing against government intrusion into the lives of the people? I don't think they see the inherent contradiction in their position. I hope that they are asked point blank about this contradictory stance and that their names and their answers are published. I want to hear their logic on this point.
  • Name
    Where are the mens' questions? Or are all pregnancies in OK immaculate conceptions?
  • Lucky Jean
    I grew up in Oklahoma, and of all the places I've been in my life, it is by far the most misogynistic place I've ever been. They still have a law on the books that says a "man is the head of the household"--they tried to repeal it in the '80s and couldn't!!
    I consider women in Oklahoma just slightly better off than women in Afghanistan. I see scary parallels.
    And, just for the record, it seemed like everyone I knew in Oklahoma City was always talking about how bad they wanted to get the hell out of there.
    Want to score one for feminism? Go to Oklahoma and offer some random woman a few grand to leave the state. I bet you wouldn't have to ask too many before some grateful woman would take you up on it.
  • decora
    "I consider women in Oklahoma just slightly better off than women in Afghanistan"

    yeah... i guess getting acid thrown in your face on the way to an illegal school that is about to get burned down while all your teachers get murdered in front of you... is pretty much the same thing as living in a redneck american state where you can be the mayor of a city and teach women's studies at the public university.
  • schmice
    I think that Lucky Jean was exaggerating to make the bigger point that women are being treated as second-class citizens. In some cultures, women are the head of the family. How would it sit with the men in Oklahoma if their "womenfolk" were dubbed head of the household by law? How about a law ordering that the male who impregnated the woman be forced to answer similar questions, if only for equal protection purposes?
  • Name
    This law clearly conflicts with laws mandating patients' privacy pertaining to their medical records, as well as the doctor-patient confidentiality relationship. The Fourth Amendment has long ago established a person's right to the expectation of privacy. Oklahoma is home to a bunch of miserable twisted people.
  • RichRunyan
    What a bunch of okies. I'll bet they are all republicans. Damn hillbillies.
  • decora
    well, you're a bigot. you should come visit some time, free your mind and the rest will follow.
  • chickenbonewilll
    This is a personal opinion only:
    I believe that the author of this bill, Republican Rep. Dan Sullivan, should be raped anally into unconsciousness, then revived and then castrated in front of the State House, with a rusty piece of barbed-wire!
    Just a passing thought!
  • schmice
    Yikes! Just a passing thought? Good. Let it pass. Why lower yourself to the level of pond scum.
  • Ric
    I think it would be interesting to see how the Oklahoma legislature would handle porposed legislation to post the names, addresses, etc. of all people convicted of public urination, public intoxication or solicitation of sex. These are all criminal convictions and should be available under FOIA.

    You should also post the names and phone numbers of all parents who are delinquent in their child support payments.

    Can you imagine how apoplectic the legislature will be?

    BTW, how much does this cost and what is the rationale for publishing this information.
  • starvapor
    A message for Texas here...

    Please, please, continue to aggressively pursue your efforts to succeed from the United States and be sure to take your neighbor, Oklahoma, along with you.

    PS...be sure to close your borders behind you.
  • decora
    where would you hold Woodyfest? you want to keep Okemah part of the US, like some sort of West Berlin?
  • starvapor
    You entirely missed my point...

    I don't care what would happened to Oklahoma or Texas if they choose to leave the U.S. by succeeding.
  • missskeptic
    If a girl is identified as having had an abortion, the guys in small towns across Oklahoma will use this as a dating service!
  • airjackie
    Well it the same thing many GOP law makers have been doing for years ask the Senator Ensign or even George W. Bush. Now no worry when a rich girl or one who's Father is in Politics needs an abortion the Law will change quickly. The GOP doesn't believe in woman's rights and values of marriage mean nothing.
  • Where the heck is that bastard male, raping or impregnating woman in this picture? ...why do they not answer questions? will they support the offspring in a case of unwanted pregnancy? .........
    NO to forced pregnancy. The decision is woman's solely, early on - no late term.

    Termination of rape or unwanted pregnancy must be state harassment-free.
    This all is also a non issue, as there is a morning after pill - or, there should be.

    Militant crazy religious male nuts will not dictate or own other people's bodies.
  • philedrifter
    Oklahoma is where the Monkey Scopes trial took place, no? I loved reading about A.L. Menken on wiki. What a genius.
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