Planned Parenthood Sues to Protect South Dakota Women

Planned Parenthood Sues to Protect South Dakota Women

June 6, 2005 CONTACT:
Tina Smith (612) 821-6150
Cell: (612) 747-7110
tfsmith [at] ppmns.org
Daedre Levine (212) 261-4549


St. Paul, MN — Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota filed a lawsuit today challenging newly enacted restrictions on abortion that force doctors to read to women seeking an abortion state-scripted information that is medically inaccurate and infused with ideology. The law also requires women to sign the scripts to certify that they understand them. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for South Dakota.

"Planned Parenthood is challenging this law because it writes into law the personal ideology and beliefs of politicians," said Planned Parenthood President and CEO Sarah Stoesz. "When women go to their doctor, they expect personal, individualized care, not the personal beliefs of politicians. This law forces doctors to serve as messengers for the state's ideology, and that's wrong."

This law also requires doctors to give women false and misleading medical information, such as telling women that a "risk" of abortion is suicide.

Planned Parenthood is challenging this law because it forces doctors to serve as messengers for the state's biased ideology; it forces women to certify that they "understand" that ideology; and it forces doctors to deliver medically inaccurate information to their patients — something Planned Parenthood considers unethical.

"If the legislature really wants to reduce abortions among South Dakota's women, it should work with us to pass legislation that promotes family planning and sex ed, thereby reducing the need for abortion in the first place," said Stoesz."

"This law subjects doctors who are determined to practice good medicine to the risk of criminal prosecution," added Stoesz. "Just because a politician believes something doesn't make it true. This law hurts South Dakota women because it forces doctors to provide women with medically inaccurate information based on ideology, not sound science. Politicians are free to believe whatever they want, but they should not have the power to force doctors to recite those beliefs to their patients."

###

For more than 75 years, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota has worked in our region to make sure all people have the information and the means to make free and responsible decisions about whether and when to have children. Planned Parenthood operates 24 clinics in Minnesota and South Dakota, providing quality and affordable family planning, reproductive health care services and education to nearly 80,000 women and men each year.

Print this »

For medical questions, or to schedule an appointment with the nearest Planned Parenthood health center, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN or 1-800-230-7526.

Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers provide culturally competent, high quality, affordable health care to millions of diverse women, men, and teens every year. Planned Parenthood welcomes everyone — regardless of race, age, disability, sexual orientation, or income.


related stories & services
Concerned About Pharmacist Refusals?
SaveROE.com