Lexington, Ky., Apr 5, 2019 / 15:32 pm
A federal appeals court has upheld a Kentucky law requiring that abortion doctors show ultrasound images of the baby to the mother, describe the images on the screen, and play the sound of the fetus' heartbeat.
The Catholic bishops of Kentucky praised the ruling in an April 4 statement.
"Given the devastating effect that abortion has on both the unborn child and often the mother who later regrets the abortion, it is vitally important that women have all of the information they need to make a decision that is as fully informed as possible," they said.
"The statute in question was passed to ensure women have access to unbiased and medically sound information about abortion procedures and the unborn child in the womb before making an irreversible decision to have an abortion. The court held that this is a legitimate interest of the Commonwealth and that a doctor does not have a right to withhold such information."