To the Editor:
This Monday's Herald editorial ("War on women arrives in Rhode Island," March 19) overstates the so-called "war on women" launched by requiring physicians to display and describe an ultrasound's images prior to an abortion - a mandate currently being considered by the Rhode Island General Assembly.
If doctors review ultrasound results with patients during other medical examinations, such as for cancer, then it seems reasonable also to review results associated with the formation of a living child within a woman's body. Indeed, an abortion demands an emotional decision-making process. At the same time, though medical issues often evoke negative reactions, these feelings do not exempt one from the personal responsibility of acknowledging the very basic reality of a medical procedure to be conducted, which in this case would be identifying an embryo or fetus to be aborted.
Many women, in fact, would want to view ultrasound images, and doing so could be reassuring, according to a Canadian study reported in the New York Times in which 73 percent of women wanted to see their ultrasound results when given the opportunity. While The Herald cites another study that concludes that ultrasound viewing typically has little or no impact on a woman's decision, the former observation suggests that viewing allows a woman to make her choice more confidently.
Rather than hasten to create a deeper rift between pro-choice and pro-life supporters with this bill, I urge The Herald and Rhode Island citizens from both sides to consider viewing this bill as an opportunity for compromise and cooperation. We need to respect women by giving them all the medical information related to their bodies and the procedures they are considering. Data and medical information and the freedom to make independent, informed health decisions go hand-in-hand.
Irene Nemesio '12
