Missouri: women must be informed before abortion that life begins at conception

September 24, 2010

Pro-life legislation that recently went into effect in Missouri requires women to be informed of the stages of fetal development before having an abortion, mandates a 24-hour waiting period, and forbids funding for abortions in the health insurance exchanges envisioned by federal health care reform legislation.

Largely based on other states’ legislation that has withstood court challenges, the new Missouri law requires the state to develop, and the abortionist to distribute, materials that

describe the probable anatomical and physiological characteristics of the unborn child at two-week gestational increments from conception to full term, including color photographs or images of the developing unborn child at two-week gestational increments. Such descriptions shall include information about brain and heart functions, the presence of external members and internal organs during the applicable stages of development and information on when the unborn child is viable. The printed materials shall prominently display the following statement: “The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion will terminate the life of a separate, unique, living human being.”

 

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Further information:

• Missouri Increases Pressure on Abortion Clinics (National Catholic Register)
• SB793 (Missouri Senate)