Professional medical organizations strongly disagree with further restrictions on abortions, according to Obstetrician Doug Laube, and he said they oppose the “one size fits all” approach to abortion regulation.
“A crucial part of our job as doctors when helping women and families heal is to enable them to have some control over a situation that feels completely out of control to them.”
Senate President Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) is a main sponsor of what she calls the Pain Prevention Act. She said fetuses feel pain at 20 weeks gestation, though Laube disagrees. He said the scientific community generally agrees fetal pain capability may be neurologically possible at 26-28 weeks, but not 20. “It’s just medically inaccurate,” he said. “It goes against the credible available scientific literature that’s available right now. So, in effect, it’s not truth in advertising.”
Those who oppose the ban say pregnancy terminations after 20 weeks is “extremely rare.”
In 2013, there were 86 abortion procedures in Wisconsin.
Lazich’s bill contains a medical emergency provision. Governor Scott Walker said he would sign it.
