An Arizona Republican Trent Franks is under the impression that the rate of pregnancy resulting from rape is virtually non existent. Apparently he is of the school of thought that presumes rapists sperm is easily identifiable by the ova of their victims. Or some tomfoolery like that.
This again was brought up as justification of why anti-abortion legislation should be as onerous and difficult for women to navigate as possible.
I'm already aware that in Arizona if a woman in the northern counties of that state need the medical procedure called an abortion they have no choice but to go to Phoenix to get that medical procedure. And that was in the late nineteen eighties.
Can we legislate rectal exams for boner pills yet?
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), whose measure banning abortions after 20 weeks was being considered in the House Judiciary Committee, argued against a Democratic amendment to make exceptions for rape and incest by suggesting that pregnancy from rape is rare.
“The incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low,” Franks said.
Franks continued: “But when you make that exception, there’s usually a requirement to report the rape within 48 hours. And in this case that’s impossible because this is in the sixth month of gestation. And that’s what completely negates and vitiates the purpose of such an amendment.”
Democrats on the committee, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), responded by pointing to similar comments made by then-Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) in his 2012 Senate campaign. Akin suggested that the female body can prevent pregnancy from occurring after a “legitimate rape” — a claim that is not backed up by scientific research and for which Akin apologized.