Trial Challenging Federal Abortion Ban Started Monday in San Francisco

Trial Challenging Federal Abortion Ban Starts Monday in San Francisco

Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Ashcroft Critical to Medical Privacy and Abortion Rights

March 26, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — On Monday, March 29, in San Francisco, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) will go to court once again to protect our right to make our own personal, private medical decisions, free from government intrusion. In Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Ashcroft, PPFA challenges a law that would ban abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy, outlawing abortion procedures in the second trimester that doctors say are safe and among the best to protect women's health. The ban makes no exception for women's health or cases involving severe fetal anomalies.

"The federal abortion ban could outlaw abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy and prevents women and their doctors from making the best medical decisions about their health care," PPFA President Gloria Feldt said. "Proponents of this ban don't care about women. Their goal is the elimination of safe, legal abortion and this ban is a major step in that direction. Planned Parenthood will take every step within the law to protect every individual's right to medical privacy and every woman's right to make her own childbearing choices."

The abortion ban, the first federal law criminalizing abortion, was passed by Congress and signed by President Bush late last year. Three lawsuits were immediately filed to challenge the ban: National Abortion Federation v. Ashcroft in New York, Carhart v. Ashcroft in Nebraska, and PPFA v. Ashcroft in San Francisco. Planned Parenthood Golden Gate and the City of San Francisco are also parties to the PPFA lawsuit. Judges in all three cases granted temporary restraining orders to keep the law from going into effect until the cases were heard and decided. Trials in the three suits are all scheduled to begin on Monday. For more information on PPFA v. Ashcroft please visit http://www.plannedparenthood.org/abortionbantrials. For more information on all three suits, please visit http://www.federalabortionban.org.



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Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation's largest and most trusted voluntary reproductive health organization. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child — and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate nearly 900 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year.


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Contact:
Colleen McCabe: (212) 261-4729
Erin Libit: (202) 973-4883