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GROUPS VOICE OPPOSOITION TO NEW ABORTION LAWS
WPR News - Groups voice opposoition to new abortion laws
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Monday April 23, 2012
by Shamane Mills
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(UNDATED) Groups representing women and doctors are expressing their opposition to a law which has prompted Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to suspend non-surgical abortions.
The clinics in Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton have indefinitely suspended abortions using medication that can only be administered by a doctor. Surgical abortions will continue. The law took effect Friday (4/20) and requires patients to make three separate visits to the same doctor after inducing abortion by pill. It also requires doctors to take specific steps to ensure the woman is not being coerced. Planned Parenthood's Nicole Safir noted that major medical groups opposed the law, "This is basically politicians in the state government compelling a woman to have a surgical procedure as opposed to medication option which might be appropriate for her so they're really dictating her patient care."
The Wisconsin Medical Society 's Tim Bartholow is concerned this law may open the door to other future restrictions in which elected officials tell doctors how to practice medicine, "I don't know where it stops is my issue."
Last month, the Wisconsin Medical Society wrote to Gov. Walker asking him to veto the bill. The letter described the legislation as an "unprecedented" burden on physicians while also interfering with the doctor-patient relationship, "We want to make sure that when patients come to their doctor that the physician is unconflicted by other things they're not being pressured as a physician to answer to somebody else but instead to that patient's needs.
The bill's sponsors did not return calls for comment. Under the law, doctors can face felony charges for not adhering to the additional abortion requirements.
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