The Supreme Court allowed a Kentucky law to take effect on Monday, which requires women seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound and listen to the heartbeat of the fetus. Medical ethicist Art Caplan spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the immorality of this law.
"[The law requires] a probe into the women's reproductive system. So you're basically assaulting her in this invasive procedure to take this picture which she may or may not want, and the Kentucky legislature has said that is a procedure that has to be done," Caplan said. "[The procedure] doesn't serve any medical purpose, except the hope on the pro-life side that if you get an early picture of the fetus, maybe you'd change your mind about the abortion. But it's got nothing to do with the safety of the abortion or anything having to do with any medical purpose."
Caplan warned about the danger of legislatures having control over medical procedures.
"The Supreme Court didn't take the case. The law then stands, and I think this is ethically awful because you're letting the legislature dictate the procedure. They're playing doctor. It's clearly being done just for ideological, political purposes," he said. "It's not a medically necessary thing, and the woman doesn't have a choice."
Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center.
