AD“To try to change the opinions of women about their pregnancy with this kind of pressure, this is not acceptable,” Shahzad said. In Slovakia, abortion is legal upon request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy; it is available after that for certain medical reasons. “If this legislation is adopted, Slovakia would be the only EU member state to impose these harmful requirements on women,” the groups wrote, adding the abortion requirements would violate several international human rights treaties Slovakia has ratified. The World Health Organization does not recommend a routine ultrasound before abortion. In the U.S., seven states have similar provisions obliging women to have an ultrasound and listen to a fetal heartbeat, according to Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute.

Source: Washington Post November 29, 2019 09:33 UTC