SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Utah’s first-in-the-nation requirement that women receive anesthesia or painkillers before some abortions has taken effect, but doctors say they’re unsure how they’re supposed to comply.
The law requires pain relief for a fetus before any abortion at 20 weeks of gestation or later, based on the disputed premise that a fetus can feel pain at that stage in pregnancy.
But doctors say there’s no science or medicine laying out how they’re supposed to alleviate pain in a fetus.
Lawmakers in the conservative state say if there’s a chance the fetus can feel pain, it’s important to take steps to alleviate it. The law takes effect Tuesday.
No other state has such a law, though Montana lawmakers passed a similar measure last year that was vetoed by the state’s Democratic governor.