Isaacson v. Horne: Brief for Amici Curiae from ACOG

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit supporting the Center for Reproductive Rights’ case against Arizona’s ban on abortions beginning at 20 weeks of pregnancy. In its brief, ACOG argues, “contrary to the assertions made by the Arizona legislature and defendants… The ban will jeopardize women’s health by severely curtailing physicians’ ability to treat patients who face serious health conditions later in pregnancy and will force women to carry pregnancies to term when their fetuses suffer from serious impairments, including those that are incompatible with life.”
According to ACOG, many fetal abnormalities cannot be diagnosed until or near 20 weeks of pregnancy, and many health conditions for women do not become clear to the doctor or patient before 20 weeks.