Virginia Joins Six States in Requiring Ultrasound Before Abortion

March 9, 2012

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Wednesday signed into law a bill requiring women to obtain an ultrasound before having an abortion, making Virginia the seventh state to adopt such a law, the Christian Post reports. The bill exempts women who were raped or victims of incest, if the incident was reported to police. Pro-abortion advocates called the bill "state-required rape," but pro-life advocates applauded it as a "gold standard" in medical care. "Abortion advocates have engaged in a vicious campaign of misinformation against a proposal that would require a life-saving ultrasound test before giving women an abortion-inducing drug or an abortion procedure," said Dr. Charmaine Yoest, CEO of Americans United for Life. "It [is] particularly egregious that abortion advocates fought to prevent women from having all the medical information they need for informed consent."