More Misinformation

The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, which was introduced last May. Doctors would be required to tell women seeking an abortion after 20 weeks "about the capacity of the unborn child to experience great pain during the abortion," according to the National Right to Life Committee. The doctor would also be required to provide the woman with a consent form so she could "accept or refuse administration of a pain-relieving drug to the unborn child."

As a rule, I always try to maintain a certain degree of decorum on this blog. I shall make an exception this time. If any physician gives in to this nonsense and actually makes a woman sign this consent he/she is unworthy to take care of patients! [And, yes, I know that physicians are human, and they have monumental amounts of student loans, family expenses, mortgages, etc. However, if the only way to make a living is to lie to your patients, demean them, and harm them, it's time to look for another career.]

Politicians and religious fundamentalists can afford to treat women like garbage. Physicians cannot.

Back to our regularly scheduled educational program. A good baseline review of the scientific evidence on fetal pain here, and an overview of the legislative/judicial machinations here.