Abortions decline in wake of "fetal pain" law

July 28, 2011

No one needed a crystal ball to foresee a decline in abortions would be reported to the state Department of Health and Human Services for the first six months of this year.

There were 135 fewer abortions from January through June this year than for the same period in 2010.

Nebraska broke new ground nationally with the enactment last year of a so-called “fetal pain” law. It barred abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, based on the disputed theory that a fetus can feel pain at that stage.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the standard for limiting abortion has been the viability of the fetus – its ability to survive outside the womb. That standard has generally been seen as 24 weeks. During the first trimester, a decision to abort a pregnancy has been up to a woman and her physician.

Preliminary reports from doctors to the department note 1,153 abortions for the first six months of 2011, compared to 1,288 for the same period in 2010 – a decrease of 9 percent. the rest