Republican-controlled legislatures in a number of states are considering laws and Constitutional amendments to redefine the legal definition of when life begins to be the moment of fertilization regardless of whether the fertilized egg implants into the woman’s uterus. These so-called Personhood laws would grant constitutional rights to zygotes and fetuses, and ban abortion without exception along with certain forms of birth control, in vitro fertilization, and the treatment of life-threatening pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancies. Any woman using a intrauterine device or form of birth control pill that worked by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting would be inducing an illegal abortion consequently the use of such forms of birth control would be illegal.
Voters in Mississippi are scheduled to vote on a personhood amendment to their state Constitution this November. Similar laws are being considered by Republican legislatures in South Dakota, North Dakota, Alabama, and Iowa. An anti-abortion group called Personhood USA is working to get personhood laws on the ballot in at least half of the states in 2012.
Read more here: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/groups/personhood-usa
and here: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/01/136850622/abortion-foes-push-to-redefine-personhood?ft=1&f=1001
To get a better idea concerning how these personhood laws would strip women of their rights, watch this video by National Advocates for Pregnant Women here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3X4_p3yAC8
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