Thursday, October 8, 2009

New Oklahoma law will publicy post details of women’s abortions online

Yes, you read that correctly:

On Nov. 1, a law in Oklahoma will go into effect that will collect personal details about every single abortion performed in the state and post them on a public website. Implementing the measure will “cost $281,285 the first year and $256,285 each subsequent year.” Here are the first eight questions that women will have to reveal:

1. Date of abortion
2. County in which abortion performed
3. Age of mother
4. Marital status of mother
(married, divorced, separated, widowed, or never married)
5. Race of mother
6. Years of education of mother
(specify highest year completed)
7. State or foreign country of residence of mother
8. Total number of previous pregnancies of the mother
Live Births
Miscarriages
Induced Abortions

Although the questionnaire does not ask for name, address, or “any information specifically identifying the patient,” as Feminists for Choice points out, these eight questions could easily be used to identify a woman in a small community.
From Think Progress (hat tip to jblaque).

2 comments:

Kim Leaman said...

Is this true? Can this be true? is it still 1905 in Oklahoma? No bill or Rights in America, or has it not yet reached this state? What will this acomplish? It seems obscene.

nitroglycol said...

Sad but true. It's possible that a court challenge will strike it down, though.