BEWARE: As we draw nearer to the legislative session, we will begin to see more and more attacks from the pro-abortion lobby, politicians and media aiming to tear apart Utah's abortion trigger law.

Their goal is to dismantle the law before it can ever be put into effect. There is an effort to turn the pro-life citizens of Utah against this law through conflated ideas, excluding facts and downright lies in order to push a pro-abortion agenda. 

Here is a media example:  Recently, KUTV ran a two-part news story about a woman that received an early induction for the purpose of ending the life of her baby. Her baby had received a fatal diagnosis and her doctor advised her to terminate. https://kutv.com/news/local/pregnancy-loss-families-say-theyre-caught-in-the-middle-of-abortion-debates

However, what KUTV did was conflate this type of abortion with a stillbirth. A stillbirth is when a baby dies of natural causes in the mother’s womb or during birth, and is not alive when delivered. But in this story, the baby was not dead. 

The article states, "He just sat us down after that ultrasound and just said 'I'm so sorry, your baby is not going to make it.' But she was still alive."

Note: We have heard testimony from Utah Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists during the 18-week ban committee hearings, talk about what we are calling induction abortions. When a baby is diagnosed with a lethal or even non-lethal malformation or anomaly, some Utah specialists give women the option to deliver their baby pre-viability and hold their baby until it passes away.  MFM specialists may be pushing this option on mothers as the best and most compassionate option for their baby when they receive a complicated diagnosis, not just a fatal one. This option is presented instead of encouraging time, and if needed, perinatal hospice and palliative care. Although not listed specifically as a type of abortion on the Utah state form that is filled out for every abortion, MFM's have talked about these as abortions.  Because of the description of a "difficult labor" that is mentioned in the article, it can be surmised that this was the procedure done.  This procedure is NOT a stillbirth.  The choice was made to prematurely end the life of her baby based on the diagnosis from her physician.  How long her baby would have lived, and whether the doctor was correct in the diagnosis and lethality of the diagnosis is unknown. 

"It is virtually impossible to make a presumptive diagnosis of a "lethal malformation" as sometimes, babies with so-called lethal diagnosis actually live."  Dr. Mark Saunders, OBGYN 

Under current Utah law AND under Utah's trigger law, the removal of a miscarriage, stillborn, and ectopic pregnancy is not illegal and not considered an abortion. Additionally, under Utah's trigger law, an abortion performed because of a fatal fetal diagnosis would not be illegal either. In fact, abortions performed due to rape, incest, life of the mother and fatal fetal diagnosis are all exceptions under the law. We can debate the morality of these exceptions another time.  However, the fear presented in this article that women will not get appropriate care needs to be addressed.

KUTV attempts to stoke fear in Utahns. They want you to believe that under Utah's abortion trigger law, if you receive a fatal fetal diagnosis for a pregnancy, you will be forced to travel across state lines to receive an abortion. That is untrue. 

Furthermore, you will not have to travel across state lines to receive treatment for the removal of a miscarriage, stillborn, ectopic pregnancy, or to separate a baby from its mom to save the life of a mother. Abortion is NOT stillbirth.  It is unconscionable that this article tries to confuse the two.

Another example of conflating information is this article on KSL https://www.ksl.com/article/50522387/despite-dangerous-pregnancy-complications-abortions-denied  This article wants to scare Utah citzens into thinking that a woman whose water breaks early will be unable to complete the delivery of her baby.  This is entirely untrue.  Spontaneous premature rupture of membranes happens in Utah, and its treatment is not considered an abortion in statute, nor have Utah physicians ever considered it an abortion. The standard of care is to put mom on bedrest and watch for signs of infection.  

This is an experience this author has personally been a part of.  21 years ago, a good friend had her water break at 20 weeks.  She was on home bedrest for 4 weeks, then went into the hospital for a managed bedrest.  Multiple doctors repeatedly urged her to have an abortion.  She was told her baby would probably die, or at the minimum be severely special needs both mentally and physically. She refused abortion.  As only a mother can, she fought for her baby with the tenacity of a mama bear, and spent over 11 weeks in bed to save her child.  Her baby was born at 31 1/2 weeks weighing 3 1/2 lbs.  He spent 8 weeks in the NICU. I used to take shifts to be with him. He has never had any health issues since coming home from the hospital, and today he is a strong and vibrant 21 year old man with a bright future thanks to his mother.  Doctors were wrong in every negative prediction for this baby.  And at no point would this mom's treatment have been hindered or altered had the Utah Trigger Law been in place.  

Utah's abortion trigger law is aimed at elective abortions. These are the majority of abortions that happen in Utah. And statistically, 65% of these occurr for socioeconomical reasons, not for medical reasons or due to sexual assault.  

In 2020 (the most recent statistical report available), there were less than 5 abortions done in Utah due to fetal malformation and maternal life engagement respectively. This is a rare occurrence, and still an exception under the law. 

In the future, if you see a news story that you have questions about, please come to us! We will be happy to address any questions or concerns that you have. 

Utah's trigger law is truly a wise and comprehensive law. There is no need to fear that it will do anything more than save babies from elective abortions. Our organization helps women who feel as if abortion is their only option.  They see only one path available, and we help them see that the path of life is available for them and their baby.  And then we walk that path with them.  It is truly a wondrous process to see a woman in difficult circumstances be loved and supported.  But the most wonderful part is seeing these women love their babies.  I have held these babies in my arms.  Babies that were almost killed in a Utah abortion clinic. Utah babies deserve the chance to live.  This law needs to be upheld and put into place.  This law needs the support of Utah citizens. Babies will live because of this law! These children will be our future and our future is bright.