Title: Appeals court invalidates Utah ban on late abortions.

POPLINE Document Number: 120363

Source citation:

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM NEWS, 1997 Jan 17;6(1):2-3.

Abstract:

On December 23, 1996, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that a 1991 Utah law that bans all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy (except when necessary to save the woman's life, prevent "grave damage" to her health, or prevent the birth of a child with "grave defects") is unconstitutional. The three-judge panel reaffirmed that viability determinations must be left to a physician's medical judgment and not be dictated by the state. Typically, viability occurs between weeks 24-28 of pregnancy. According to a precedent established by the US Supreme Court in 1992's Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, a state may not unduly restrict access to abortion prior to fetal viability; even after viability, a woman's health must be the primary consideration.

Keywords:

Utah
United States
Abortion Law
Abortion
Time Factors
North America
Americas
Developed Countries
Fertility Control, Postconception
Family Planning
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population