Utah lawmakers want to ban abortions sought by parents based on Down syndrome test

Utah Rep. Karianne Lisonbee says she was shocked by mention of an abortion statistic in Iceland: close to 100 percent of women whose fetuses test positive for Down syndrome terminate their pregnancies.

That revelation apparently spurred Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, to announce Monday she was sponsoring legislation to bar Utah doctors from performing abortions when the procedure is sought due to a Down syndrome diagnosis.

“They must be protected,” Lisonbee said of children with the genetic disorder, during a news conference at the Utah Capitol, adding such abortions are a “terrible form of discrimination” and could lead down a path to eugenics.

Critics argue that such legislation — which has become law in several other U.S. states — is more about restricting abortion access overall, not protecting children with Down syndrome.

Read more: https://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2018/01/22/utah-lawmakers-want-to-ban-abortions-sought-by-parents-based-on-down-syndrome-test/