OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — One of the most controversial bills in the 2020 Legislative session had its hearing in Lincoln today...a bill from Senator Suzanne Geist would ban what she calls dismemberment abortion.
The medical term is dilation and evacuation or D&E. It’s a method when a doctor takes out a live fetus piece by piece.
Supporters call the method brutal but supporters of abortion access say it’s necessary to keep legal.
“It doesn’t restrict abortion at all, this is really a humanitarian bill,” said bill supporter Kathi Aultman.
Currently in Nebraska, just over one percent of abortions are done by the dilation and evacuation method...commonly known as D&E. Those that want to restrict abortion access say there are better, less grotesque ways to get an abortion.
“This practice truly has no place in modern medicine and should not be happening in our society,” said bill sponsor Suzanne Geist.
Geist says there are better options for a woman if she wants a second-trimester abortion. The D&E method is used after the 14th week of pregnancy and it involves a physician using forceps to remove parts of a live fetus from the womb.
Former abortion doctor, turned pro-life activist, Dr. Kathi Aultman said at the hearing that a woman seeking an abortion could induce pregnancy instead of this method. She says it wouldn’t cause the fetus pain.
“I hope that you will have more compassion on these innocent human beings than I did,” said Aultman.
Dr. Judy Steinhauer, a gynecological professor at the University of California - San Francisco, said there’s plenty of evidence that a fetus doesn’t feel pain until the 28th week of pregnancy. She also said, in some situations, if a pregnancy goes wrong, a woman has to use this method in order to empty her uterus and stop hemorrhaging.
“This is really the safest method in general and especially in this emergency situation, to protect womens’ future fertility,” she said.
She worries that if Nebraska bans the practice, people will find a way to get the procedure done anyway.
Others like University of Nebraska Medical Center student Jon Wood worry, if passed, doctors will avoid moving to Nebraska to work.
“Would you like to be part of the solution to the brain drain and physician shortage in Nebraska, or continue to exasperate the problem,” Wood said.
