Tennessee’s Life Defense Act Of 2012 Will Name Abortion Providing Doctors, Reveal Patients


A new bill currently under consideration in Tennessee is drawing the ire of activists who worry that the bill will unfairly target doctors and women.

The new bill known as the Life Defense Act of 2012 would reveal the names of doctors who perform abortions and could inadvertently identify women who undergo the procedure.

Under current state rules abortion providers currently must record information about each patient which is collected by the Tennessee Department of Health however that information is kept private.

The Life Defense Act of 2012 would require that the collected info be published online.

Supporters of the bill say the new act would increase the flow of information regarding abortions in the state, while opponents say it’s nothing more than a measure to pressure doctors into avoiding the practice for fear of their own lives. Opponents also worry that the Life Defense Act will intimidate women who are seeking an abortion.

In what might be the most tragically flawed aspect of the bill, a doctor who is not an abortion specialist but who must perform the procedure in the case of emergencies or miscarriages would still be named.

While a females name would not be published her age, race, education level and the number of kids she already has would be posted by county. In smaller counties that information could easily be enough to identify the anonymous women.

A state House committee will examine the bill on Wednesday and determine if it should move forward.

Do you think the Life Defense Act of 2012 should be allowed to move forward or does it offer too many ways for doctors and patients to be targeted?

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