North Dakota lawmakers are on the path to force survivors of rape to carry their pregnancies to term with the introduction of SB 2150. The bill intends to ban nearly all abortions in North Dakota with a narrow rape exception that fails to understand the basics of pregnancy.
As the bill is currently written, abortions are permissible in cases of rape if the “probable postfertilization age” is six weeks or less. Due to the complexities of menstruation and gestation, most people don’t know they’re pregnant by six weeks. This is especially true for someone who has recently experienced significant trauma.
In addition, use of the word “postfertilization” prompted a doctor at the bill’s hearing to seek clarity because they had “never encountered that term in medical training or medical practice and have never used it in patient counseling or medical decision making.” Should lawmakers who lack a basic understanding of pregnancy be writing laws that regulate it?
Survivors of sexual assault already had their lives forcibly altered – and instead of protecting these people, North Dakota anti-abortion lawmakers are further taking away survivors' control of their bodies and futures. Did these lawmakers work with our state’s sexual violence crisis centers to understand the importance of bodily autonomy when healing from trauma?
Rather than further traumatizing survivors of sexual assault, we need to protect and support them by providing medically accurate, comprehensive reproductive health care. People should have the fundamental right to control their own body and health care decisions. Urge your legislators to vote no on SB 2150.
The Trust Project
