Uhlenkott: ‘The window to the womb’

Kerry Uhlenkott of Right to Life of Idaho told senators this morning, “Ultrasound is a key element in providing informed consent for women. … Doing so reduces the risk that a woman may elect an abortion only to discover later, with devastating psychological consequences that her decision was not fully informed.”

She said, “Clearly, real-time ultrasound images of the unborn child are truthful and not misleading, and can lead to a more informed consent for the woman. … Ultrasound has often been called the window to the womb.”

Uhlenkott said the bill would let the woman and the abortion provider decide whether to do an abdominal ultrasound or an invasive transvaginal ultrasound. She quoted an article saying that the transvaginal procedure, which requires the insertion of an ultrasound wand into the patient’s vagina, is “a benign and routine part of the abortion procedure,” and said it’s the “most effective method for viewing and dating” early-stage pregnancies.