NYT Analysis of Political Framing of Ultrasound Mandates

The New York Times: Ultrasound: A Pawn in the Abortion Wars, by Erik Eckholm:

“INFORMED consent.” It sounds so reasonable.

That’s the stated goal of legislation being considered in Virginia that would require a woman seeking an abortion to first have an ultrasound, giving her an opportunity to examine the developing fetus and hear its heartbeat.

The anti-abortion groups promoting this idea say it serves patients’ rights — a way to empower women with information. That argument held in nine other states that have adopted ultrasound requirements in recent years.

But in Virginia, abortion rights advocates succeeded in reframing the proposal in the public mind as, instead, an outrageous threat to women’s dignity. . . .