Ohio bill forces pregnant women to reimplant unviable fetuses or face murder charges

It's almost as if we're back to square one again. In yet another move to inhibit a person's right to choose, the state of Ohio has introduced an abortion bill that would force pregnant people to reimplant ectopic pregnancies into their uteruses. Should they choose not to, they could face charges of "abortion murder." An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants in one's fallopian tube or somewhere else in their abdomen rather than in their uterus. For this reason, ectopic pregnancies are largely unviable and could put the parent and fetus at risk. Despite the advice of medical experts, it appears that legislators and pro-life activists in Ohio are pushing for the bill to pass, The Guardian reports.

This is now the second time that practicing obstetricians and gynecologists have warned lawmakers about the dangers of forcing an individual to carry out an ectopic pregnancy. In addition to that, the procedure is, at present, medically impossible. Yet, legislators are surging forward with the bill, which comes just as a wave of other anti-abortion bills sweep across the United States. In comparison to other similar bills, Ohio's is by far the most stringent and oppressive — to, of course, the joy of Republican lawmakers.

The bill, while punishing those who choose not to reimplant ectopic pregnancies, would also penalize all licensed doctors who perform the abortions as an alternative. Doctors would also face charges of abortion murder, which is punishable by life in prison. Ohio obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. David Hackney wrote on Twitter, "I don’t believe I’m typing this again but, that’s impossible. We’ll all be going to jail." The bill has also created a new crime, known as "aggravated abortion murder." This crime would be punishable by death (capital punishment is horrifically a legal penalty in the state of Ohio). The irony of punishing "murder" (i.e., abortion) with more (actual) murder is perhaps lost on these lawmakers.

Dr. Chris Zahn, vice-president of practice activities at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, also stated, "There is no procedure to reimplant an ectopic pregnancy. It is not possible to move an ectopic pregnancy from a fallopian tube, or anywhere else it might have implanted, to the uterus. Reimplantation is not physiologically possible. Women with ectopic pregnancies are at risk for catastrophic hemorrhage and death in the setting of an ectopic pregnancy, and treating the ectopic pregnancy can certainly save a mom’s life."

However, it is clear that Republican lawmakers in Ohio are not concerned with the principle of life. Rather, they are interested in their ability to control how a woman makes decisions — if they are permitted to make any at all. This bill, like the six-week abortion ban the state introduced earlier this year (also known as the heartbeat bill), was created to curb a woman's right to choose and weaken the landmark Roe v. Wade judgment made in 1973. Thankfully, pro-choice activist groups immediately sued, preventing the six-week abortion ban from ever seeing the light of day. It can only be hoped that similar actions will be taken with regard to this archaic bill as well.