Show women ultrasound before abortion - Carolina lawmakers

Women seeking abortions in South Carolina would be required to view an ultrasound image of their foetus before the procedure under a proposal gaining support from lawmakers.

If enacted, it would be the first law of its kind in the US.

Some states make ultrasound images available to women before an abortion, but South Carolina would be alone in mandating that women see the pictures.

Proponents say women would change their minds after seeing an ultrasound and choose instead to keep the child or offer it for adoption.

To reduce abortions, women need “as much background as possible when they’re making decisions,” said Oran Smith, president of the Palmetto Family Council, the state affiliate of Focus on the Family.

Critics consider the proposal a tool to intimidate women who already have made an agonising decision.