Key issues • Washington, DC

Graham’s abortion ban would force women to have transvaginal ultrasounds

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s national 15-week abortion ban would likely force many women to undergo invasive transvaginal ultrasounds before terminating pregnancies, according to doctors.

Under the bill, which Graham introduced last week, physicians could be prosecuted for terminating pregnancies after 15 weeks, except in a handful of scenarios: to save the life of the mother or in cases where the pregnant woman or girl has previously reported that the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest…. Because violations of Graham’s proposed 15-week ban would be punishable by up to five years in prison, doctors say the legislation would create a powerful incentive to perform transvaginal ultrasounds to make an age judgment.

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