Iowa Court: Telemed Abortion Ban Unconstitutional
Iowa's Supreme Court has reinstated a controversial abortion practice that allows doctors to give out abortion-inducing pills over a video conferencing system, without meeting the patient in-person.
In 2013, the Iowa Board of Medicine ruled that doctors must be in the same room with a patient before dispensing the pills. The board cited safety concerns over a required physical examination.
On Friday, Iowa's justices unanimously agreed with Planned Parenthood that having a doctor in the room is too much trouble and violates women's constitutional rights.
Dr. Donna Harrison, of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians, told CBN News the telemed abortion is dangerous for women.
"It's much easier on the abortion provider but much more difficult for the woman," Harrison said.
"She's on her own to figure out how much bleeding is too much bleeding, how much pain is too much pain, how much cramping is too much, and how much physical trauma is too much," she explained.
Iowa is one of two states that provide telemed abortions.
*Click here to see CBN Reporter Heather Sells' report on telemed abortions. Or watch below:
