Ohio to Outlaw Abortion of Fetuses with Down Syndrome

Anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of pregnancies where Down Syndrome is identified result in termination as many people believe they are unable to cope with the mental and monetary stresses of raising a child who could need care for their entire life as a result of mental and physical disabilities.

But how would a state like Ohio determine whether or not any individual woman’s choice was related to such a diagnosis, let alone prove that it was her “sole” motivation?

“I think (abortion) is an important issue, but I think there’s many other issues that are really critical”.

“‘If abortion on demand is legal, ‘ said Dr. Marjorie Greenfield, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, ‘and you can have an abortion just because you want to, what does it mean to say you can’t abort for Down syndrome?” He has signed abortion restrictions before, reports the New York Times, though it notes he hasn’t stated his stance on this bill.

The executive director of Naral Pro-Choice Ohio, Kellie Copeland, agreed and said, “This is interference with a medical decision following a complicated diagnosis”.

“Obviously it’s the law of the land now”, Kasich responded, “and we live with the law of the land”. The measure moreover has implications for the 2016 presidential race, as Ohio Gov. John Kasich seeks the Republican nomination and tries to walk a fine line between burnishing his pro-life credentials and positioning himself as a moderate member of the GOP field.

Democratic lawmakers have asked how the state would enforce such a ban, and why decisions based on one medical condition are banned by the state but not others.

A Kasich campaign spokesman did not say Monday whether the governor would support the ban, citing the long prospects the measure faces in the Ohio Capitol.

But, as Perry noted in a January RH Reality Check op-ed, pro-information laws have also become politicized by anti-abortion groups. These centers, he said, did not offer the full range of contraceptive options to women. In one case, the Armenian mother of a Down syndrome infant divorced the father due to her unwillingness to keep the child, which brought the issue into the spotlight earlier this year.