Limiting drug-induced abortions pursued in Idaho

BOISE – A legislative panel is considering new regulations for medication-induced abortions in Idaho that would require in-person counseling and an examination before the medication is prescribed.

The House State Affairs Committee voted to introduce a bill Thursday that would ban doctors from giving the abortion drugs unless the doctor determines the abortion is safe and appropriate, and also tries to schedule a follow-up visit.

Idaho’s current laws are focused mainly on surgical abortions, but the number of medical abortions is growing, said David Ripley of Idaho Chooses Life.

“Idaho law has been drafted with a bias toward surgical abortions in the state,” he said. “Not enough attention has been paid to the use of abortion-causing drugs. That’s a real problem.”

The bill was introduced after a party-line vote, with all four Democrats voting no.

While the number of abortions in Idaho has decreased in recent years, the proportion of medication-induced procedures has grown rapidly.

Medication-induced abortions grew from 11 percent of Idaho abortions in 2005 to 20 percent just two years later. Today, they account for almost four in 10 abortions in Idaho.

Ripley said he expects the number to continue to climb. He’s dubbed his bill the “chemical abortion bill,” though drug-induced abortions are generally called “medical abortions” in the health care industry.

The Food and Drug Administration has instituted some of the same guidelines for using drugs that terminate a pregnancy.

Democratic Rep. Melissa Wintrow of Boise questioned whether Idaho should align with the FDA regulations. Ripley said it was a complicated question and some of the federal agency’s guidelines are under litigation.

The proposal would also outline steps to protect anonymity in court of any woman who has had an abortion.

Kathy Griesmyer, who represents the American Civil Liberties Union in Idaho, said she thinks the plan interjects lawmakers into a woman’s private medical decisions. She said the plan isn’t necessary for a woman to have a safe and legal abortion in the state.

“The bill is being introduced as a way to create one more barrier or obstacle for a woman to face to get an abortion,” she said.

The committee will hold a full hearing on the bill in the coming weeks.