March 8, 2013 —

FEATURED BLOG

"Arkansas Abortion Ban Disproportionately Affects Poor Women and Teenagers," Amanda Marcotte, Slate's "XX Factor": Marcotte notes the irony in Arkansas' recent passage of a "blatantly unconstitutional ban on abortions after 12 weeks," as the "anti-choice movement bears a lot of responsibility for the prevalence of second trimester abortions." For example, Arkansas has a "mandatory lecture and then waiting period, restrictions on insurance coverage, parental notification laws, and a gag rule on state-funded clinics so they can't help women find abortion providers," she writes, adding, "In other words, they make it hard for women to get abortions in a timely manner, and then they turn around and ban abortions for the women they've forced to wait." Marcotte also notes that nearly one-third of abortions after 12 weeks are for teenagers, "who often don't understand the symptoms of pregnancy," a problem that is "made worse by Arkansas' hostility toward comprehensive sex education" (Marcotte, "XX Factor," Slate, 3/7).

What others are saying about Arkansas' abortion ban:

~ "Arkansas Legislature Overrides 12-Week Ban Veto -- Now What?" Robin Marty, RH Reality Check.

~ "Arkansas vs. Roe v. Wade," Sarah Kliff, Washington Post's "Wonkblog."

~ "Does Arkansas Hate Women? Doctors Decry New Radical Abortion Ban," Lizzie Crocker, Daily Beast's "Women in the World."