Board’s Guidance for Abortion Providers
DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa’s medical board has given the green light to guidance that abortion providers would need to adhere to if the state’s restrictive abortion law, banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, is upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court.
While the law is currently on pause pending the court’s decision, the medical board is preparing rules to ensure physicians have clear directives in place for compliance.
Enforcement Ambiguities
The approved rules outline how physicians should follow the law but lack specifics on enforcement measures. Details on determining noncompliance or appropriate disciplinary actions are notably absent.
The new law would prohibit almost all abortions once cardiac activity is detectable, typically around six weeks of pregnancy. This stark change contrasts with Iowa’s current law allowing abortions up to 20 weeks.
Physician Guidelines
The rules instruct physicians to make a genuine effort to detect a fetal heartbeat through a pelvic ultrasound consistent with medical standards. However, the legislation’s reliance on detecting a “fetal heartbeat” poses challenges as medical experts clarify that an embryo at six weeks lacks a heart.
Representatives from the attorney general’s office explained that the rules were revised to align with medical terminology and supplement the law’s definition of “unborn child” to encompass all developmental stages.
Exceptions and Documentation
The law allows for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality, and medical emergencies. Physicians must document these exceptions meticulously in patient records to ensure compliance and avoid potential disciplinary action.
While the law outlines exceptions, it remains unclear how imminent risks must be for doctors to intervene, a challenge faced by physicians nationwide.
National Trend
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, many Republican-led states, including Iowa, have imposed strict abortion restrictions. Fourteen states have bans with limited exceptions, and two states already ban abortion post cardiac activity detection.
Associated Press reporter Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this report from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
