DE lawmakers push for decriminalizing abortion, awaits governors signature

DELAWARE,- Back in 2017 Delaware law was revised to protect abortion as a legal medical procedure if the fetus is not considered fully developed.

Now, lawmakers have tackled an area that revision didn’t. “It doesn’t need to be in the criminal code called out as an abortion,” said CEO of Planned Parenthood of Delaware Ruth Lytle-Barnaby.

House Bill 31 only needs Governor John Carney’s signature to become law after it passed in both the house and senate.

The legislation called for the removal of abortion from the Delaware criminal code decriminalizing it in the state, a move advocates say was long over due. “It is my belief that we don’t criminalize women for taking a pill or being involved in their own self-managed abortion because that was something that they chose,” said Lytle-Barnaby.

The bill clarifies only physicians are authorized to perform abortions, as it has been in the state. Keeping the liability solely on those who are trained to do them. “The first and foremost thing we’re responsible for is making that it’s appropriate, that it’s medically warranted, and that there’s a legit reason for why we have to do certain things or take certain steps,” said Owner of Pearl Clinic’s Dr. Sherin Howett.

Experts experts also say these decisions aren’t made lightly and most patients go through much counseling before final decisions are made. Some of these final decisions save lives. “The fetus may not be viable or the pregnancy wouldn’t make it to full term. If that were to happen, it could cause infections in the mother, bleeding, and cause anatomical damage that could be life long,” said Dr. Howett.

There are also conditions in the criminal code that if a patient bought any kind of supplies or medication that could be used for an abortion, they could be convicted. “That means that you could order a ban-aid that could be used and that could be seen as criminal, so getting rid of those kinds of things made a difference in just cleaning up the criminal code,” said. Lytle-Barnaby.

So now with these proposed changes, women can take the actions they feel are necessary without fear of prosecution. “It’s hard enough as a woman patient going through something like that to not only potentially be living through a really difficult circumstances that lead to her being pregnant, then having to deal with the consequences of that pregnancy both medically and in society,” Dr. Howett.

Health experts also advise patients to talk to their doctors getting full knowledge to be aware of all options available to them.