‘No data to support fetal pain at 15 weeks gestational age’

• Brunt of proposed ban would fall on low-income or minoritized people and rural residents
• Proposed ban is ‘clear example of politicians' desire to win elections or re-elections’
• Bill would add to the increasing maternal mortality rates in the U.S. 

CHICAGO --- Northwestern Medicine OB-GYN Dr. Melissa Simon said Sen. Lindsey Graham’s proposed 15-week abortion ban, “Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act,” which claims that a fetus develops pain receptors at seven weeks gestational age, “has no scientific basis.”

“There are no data that support fetal experience of pain at 15 weeks gestational age,” Simon said.

Simon is available to speak to media about the proposed ban and which communities would be most affected by it. Contact Kristin Samuelson at ksamuelson@northwestern.edu to schedule an interview.

Simon is the vice chair for research in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation at Feinberg.

“Senator Lindsey Graham's introduction of a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks is yet another clear example of politicians' desire to win elections or re-elections,” Simon said. “There is no scientific basis of a cutoff of the gestational age for abortion at 15 weeks. There are no data that support fetal experience of pain at 15 weeks gestational age.

“This bill just adds to the mounting evidence that politicians do not believe in pregnant and birthing persons' self-autonomy when it comes to medical decision making. This bill also would make it even more difficult for pregnant and birthing persons to have an abortion, and the brunt of this burden will fall on those who are low income, minoritized and those who live in rural areas. This bill would also add to the increasing maternal mortality rates in this country.”