False Narrative Abounds Over Virginia’s Sonogram Law

False Narrative Abounds Over Virginia’s Sonogram Law

via Big Journalism by Dana Loesch on 2/18/12

The pro-abortion progressive lobby has worked extensively this past week to classify Virginia's straight-forward law as "rape," even though the law doesn't dictate what sort of ultrasound should be used before a woman murders her child. The easiest and most reliable way is the transvaginal ultrasound, more common in the first trimester. Progressives act as though there are no other options available to avoid becoming pregnant, prior to getting pregnant, and that the consequence from their choice prior to sex is the problem.

From Red State:

From this the left is claiming that this requires a transvaginal ultrasound which, according to some twit writing at Slate is just like rape. She draws her farfetched conclusion thusly:
Because the great majority of abortions occur during the first 12 weeks, that means most women will be forced to have a transvaginal procedure, in which a probe is inserted into the vagina, and then moved around until an ultrasound image is produced.
So does Virginia's law require some foreign object to be "inserted into the vagina, and then moved around"? The answer is obviously no. The law doesn't specify what kind of ultrasound must be used, rather it clearly states that the sonogram "shall be made pursuant to standard medical practice in the community." This, obviously, is going to be a function of whatever device Dr. Mengele has at his disposal in the abortion facility.
Abdominal and transvaginal ultrasounds are both effective at early stages of pregnancy. This fact is acknowledged in this "continuing medical education" module produced by the National Abortion Foundation (tag line: "A Provider's Guide to Medical Abortion"):
Transabdominal ultrasound cannot reliably diagnose pregnancies that are < 6 weeks' gestation. Transvaginal ultrasound, by contrast, can detect pregnancies earlier, at approximately 4 ½ to 5 weeks' gestation. Prompt diagnosis made possible by TVU can, therefore, result in earlier treatment.
So, yes, transvaginal is more reliable for detecting pregnancies for a period of about seven days. Please note the Orwellian use of the word "treatment" for "killing of the baby." How does this require a woman to have a transvaginal ultrasound? Short answer: it doesn't.

These are people who insist rape is occurring in places where it is not, that it is legislated when it is not — the same people who deny and thus empower rape culture within the Occupy movement.
Progressives's argument regarding Virginia's law is hysterical and wholly inaccurate. If a woman doesn't want to be faced with an ultrasound then, according to statistics, practice responsibility: Studies prove that the overwhelming majority of women who choose abortion do so as a form of birth control. Cases of rape and incest account for around less than 1% of abortions [bold my emphasis]:

• Eighteen percent of U.S. women obtaining abortions are teenagers; those aged 15–17 obtain 6% of all abortions, teens aged 18–19 obtain 11%, and teens younger than age 15 obtain 0.4%.
• Women in their 20s account for more than half of all abortions; women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and women aged 25–29 obtain 24%.
• Non-Hispanic white women account for 36% of abortions, non-Hispanic black women for 30%, Hispanic women for 25% and women of other races for 9%.
• Thirty-seven percent of women obtaining abortions identify as Protestant and 28% as Catholic.
• Women who have never married and are not cohabiting account for 45% of all abortions.
• About 61% of abortions are obtained by women who have one or more children.
• Forty-two percent of women obtaining abortions have incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level ($10,830 for a single woman with no children).
• Twenty-seven percent of women obtaining abortions have incomes between 100–199% of the federal poverty level.
• The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
• Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant. Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users report having used their method inconsistently …

Furthermore, the greatest number of abortions are obtained by women who already have a child/children, so they know how anatomy and physiology works. A lack of planning on the woman's part doesn't constitute a mandate for legalized (and in the case of Planned Parenthood, publicly-funded) murder.
If progressives are going to make the case for rape, let's look at actual cases of rape, such as those which occurred in Occupy.