Online posting of women's abortion information challenged in Oklahoma

[Anonymous]

A judge could determine Friday whether to allow an Oklahoma law to go forward that will post information online about women who get abortions in the state -- an act critics say would be harassment and an invasion of privacy.

"We don't feel that the government should be able to run a grand inquisition into women's private lives," says Jennifer Mondino, an attorney challenging the law on behalf of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights.

State Sen. Todd Lamb helped draft the abortion legislation and describes it as "a common sense measure with bipartisan support." He says the left has tried to skew the law's intent through a campaign of misinformation.

"We're not trying to embarrass anybody, hurt anybody or make anybody's identities known. That's not the purpose of the legislation," the Republican lawmaker says.

"We want to collect hard data that can be a useful tool in helping prevent future unwanted pregnancies."

The law requires doctors to fill out a 10-page questionnaire for every abortion performed, including asking the woman about her age, marital status, race and years of education.

One section of the "Individual Abortion Form" says the woman must state her reason for seeking an abortion and answer this checklist. "Having a baby:
• Would dramatically change the life of the mother;
• Would interfere with the education of the mother;
• Would interfere with the job/employment/career of the mother."

A Democratic former state legislator calls the law "abusive and invasive."

"Nosy neighbors with some effort could identify or, even worse, misidentify these women who answer these questions," says former state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton, one of two Oklahoma residents on whose behalf the Center for Reproductive Rights brought the lawsuit against the measure. . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/18/oklahoma.abortion/index.html

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting this. It makes me so sick. So apparently this law has already passed and is just waiting on some sort of judicial approval. Blech.

If they really "want to collect hard data that can be a useful tool in helping prevent future unwanted pregnancies" is this the best they can do? Post individual responses to surveys on the Internet? What a crock.

The checklist is completely ridiculous...let's see...Would having a baby dramatically change the life of the mother? Would it interfere with the education of the mother? Would it interfere with the job/employment/career of the mother?

The only one I can see anyone possibly answering as "no" is the education question...and only if the mom were sure she was already finished w/schooling.