Planned Parenthood, the prominent abortion provider, is battling to modify Indiana’s abortion restrictions in order to resume its services in the state. The organization is urging an Indiana judge to expand medical exemptions under the state’s abortion law, advocating for abortions under vague “health” reasons.
Current Indiana law permits abortions only when a mother’s life is in danger and provides care for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. Planned Parenthood, however, intends to broaden these provisions, which critics contest would enable unlimited abortions.
The plea from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers is for a preliminary injunction that would broaden medical exemptions and eliminate the requirement for abortions to be conducted only in hospitals. This comes after the state’s Supreme Court upheld the abortion ban in June but agreed that the state’s constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion when her life or health is in danger.
Indiana was the first state to pass a law safeguarding unborn babies from abortion following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. The law bans abortions except in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies, or when the mother’s life is at risk. Indiana Right to life predicts that around 150 fetuses could be saved every week with this law.
Polling data consistently displays that a significant majority of Americans back legal protections for unborn babies, especially after the first trimester or when a detectable heartbeat is present. Many also support the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.