Oklahoma Law Would Make Abortion Information Public

A new Oklahoma state law requires physicians to disclose detailed information on women's abortions to the State's Department Of Health, which will then post the data on a public website

The bill takes effect on November 1 and women receiving an abortion will be forced to reveal: * Date of abortion * County in which abortion is performed * Age of mother * Marital status of mother * Race of mother * Years of education of mother * State or foreign country of residence of mother * Total number of previous pregnancies of the mother Those who pushed for the legislation argue that this law will not violate a patient's right to privacy since the name of the woman is left out as well as the address and city in which she resides. Groups against the new law find that disingenuous at best. Feminists For Choice argues, "In reviewing the actual text of the law, the first 8 questions that will be asked and reported could easily be used to identify any member of a smaller community." The Center For Reproductive Rights, State Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton (D-Okla.), and Okla. resident Lora Joyce David have joined together to file a lawsuit to prevent the bill from going into effect, on the grounds that it violates the state's constitution. Earlier this year, a law that forced doctors to show women who were seeking abortions an ultrasound of their fetus was struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court as being unconstitutional.