Arizona Does It Again!

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a new law stipulating that abortions induced by medication, i.e. non-surgical abortions, can only be provided by medical personnel who have hospital privileges within 30 miles of where the procedure takes place.  For many women, this would eliminate medication abortions occurring in local clinics or at home.  In addition, the law stipulates that gestation begins on the first day of a woman’s last period, a definition that moves up by 2 weeks a state ban on abortions given after 18 weeks gestation.  So once again the war on abortion becomes the war against poor women. 

Arizona’s new law makes it hard

For women to take medication

that her doctor insisted she take

for a pregnancy termination.

You’ve got to be close to a hospital

‘Though exactly why this should be

Is a myst’ry that serves as a cover

For abortions to end by decree.

Another of this law’s new features:

It defines when gestation began –

It’s now the first day of one’s period

Move it up by two weeks is the plan.

It means that all women are pregnant

Until their next period appears

And the same thing would happen next month -

A girl could be pregnant for years.