Doctors told to 're-implant ectopic pregnancy' or face 'abortion murder' charge

A US state has introduced an extreme anti-abortion bill that orders doctors to perform a procedure that does not exist in medical science – or face life in jail.

Governors in Ohio say medics must re-implant ectopic pregnancies, which happen when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, or face murder charges.

The condition is a life-threatening and can kill a woman if the embryonic tissue grows unchecked. The embryo that has implanted outside the womb cannot be saved and no procedure exists that could re-implant an ectopic pregnancy.

In countries with strict abortion laws, ectopic pregnancies are one of the few exceptions that allow women to get the procedure, as it is impossible for the egg to develop into a child.

The Ohio bill is the most extreme of its kind to be introduced in the US, as more states move to tighten abortion laws under Donald Trump’s administration.

Advertisement Advertisement

Gynaecologists repeatedly told legislators it was medically impossible to re-implant the pregnancy but have been ignored.

In addition to ordering doctors to do something impossible or face ‘abortion murder’ charges, the bill bans abortion outright and defines a fertilized egg as an ‘unborn child’.

It affects women and children as young as 13, who can be punished with life in prison if they seek an abortion.

It has also introduced a new charge, aggravated abortion murder, which applies to anyone held under detention for a crime who then has or performs an abortion.

‘Aggravated abortion murder’ is punishable by death while anyone found guilty of ‘abortion murder’ faces a life sentence.

Doctors have reacted with disgust at the bill on social media.

Ohio obstetrician and gynecologist Dr David Hackney said: I don’t believe I’m typing this again but, that’s impossible.  We’ll all be going to jail’

It has also caused disgust among pro-choice groups.

Reproductive rights organisation NARAL, based in Washington, tweeted: ‘Let me type that loudly so you can understand how perverse this is: Lawmakers in Ohio who call themselves pro-life think that in some instances, a pregnant person should be put to death for having an abortion.’

Advertisement Advertisement

The bill is sponsored by representatives Candice Keller and Ron Hood, and co-sponsored by 19 members of Ohio’s 99-member House.

Anti-abortion group Ohio Right-to-Life have yet to comment on the bill as they are closed for Thanksgiving.

However president Mike Gonidakis said he was still reading through the legislation, which is 700 pages long, the Guardian reports.

What is an ectopic pregnancy?

The NHS describes an ectopic pregnancy as when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.

 The fallopian tubes are the tubes connecting the ovaries to the womb. If an egg gets stuck in them, it won’t develop into a baby and your health may be at risk if the pregnancy continues.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to save the pregnancy. It usually has to be removed using medicine or an operation.

In the UK, around 1 in every 90 pregnancies is ectopic. This is around 11,000 pregnancies a year.

Doctors say it is ‘scientifically impossible’ to re-implant the egg so it can grow into a baby..

Last summer, Ohio passed a six week abortion ban known as the ‘heartbeat bill’, which made abortion illegal from before most women would even know they are pregnant.

However, reproductive rights groups immediately sued, and the bill never went into effect.

This year several US states have passed laws which effectively ban abortion, while others have taken steps to drastically restrict abortion access.

It has become one of the most divisive issues in the US, with bills tightening abortion laws triggering nationwide wide protests.

The Ohio bill has to be passed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before it becomes law.

Advertisement

Somewhere between 1-3% of pregnancies are ectopic, meaning the bill could affect 2000 Ohio women if approved.

In May, when it was first being considered, researcher Dr David Grossman argued reimplanting a fertilized egg or embryo is ‘pure science fiction’ in a Twitter thread that went viral.

He said: ‘An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the pregnancy implants outside of the uterus, most commonly in the Fallopian tube (that’s the little tube that carries the egg from the ovary to the uterus). Rarely the ectopic pregnancy can develop somewhere else like the cervix or the abdomen.

‘Unfortunately, ectopic pregnancies cannot continue to a live birth. If untreated, as a pregnancy grows, the Fallopian tube (where 96% of ectopics develop) gets stretched to the point of rupture & can cause massive bleeding. 4% of maternal deaths are related to ectopic pregnancy.

‘Luckily, there is treatment for ectopic pregnancy, including medication & surgery. This treatment is very effective & allows women to retain fertility so they can get pregnant in the future if they want. I was concerned to see [the bill] removes insurance coverage for this treatment.

‘Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy cannot be “reimplanted” into the uterus. We just don’t have the technology. So I would suggest removing this from your bill, since it’s pure science fiction.

Got a story for Metro.co.uk?

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.