A bill introduced last month by a Georgia State Representative would make miscarriage a crime, unless the woman could prove that there was “no human involvement” in the miscarriage. The bill doesn’t define “human involvement.”
Here’s what WebMD has to say (here) about miscarriage:
According to the March of Dimes, as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage — most often before a woman misses a menstrual period or even knows she is pregnant. About 15% of recognized pregnancies will end in a miscarriage.
When does a miscarriage NOT involve a human being — the woman who miscarries? Would 50% of all pregnant women then be criminals upon miscarriage?
Miscarriage does not always have a simple cause. Miscarriage may be the result of chromosomal abnormalities or other factors like infection or illness. Let’s say a pregnant woman catches a cold from her toddler. She then miscarries. Was there human involvement, for purposes of the Georgia statute? Sounds like it; the woman would be a criminal in the State of Georgia.
This bill represents a new low in legislative disregard for women’s well-being.
-Bridget Crawford
