Lawsuit: Alaska Illegally Blocks Abortions After First Trimester

Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union say the state of Alaska is illegally blocking abortions after the first trimester of pregnancy.

Specifically, the Alaska Medical Board interferes by forcing a doctor to consult with a second physician before performing a second-trimester abortion, the groups say in a lawsuit filed in Anchorage Superior Court, the Alaska Dispatch News reported.

And because of the delay, and the size of the state, pregnant women often inadvertently fall into their second trimester, according to the groups.

Subsequently, many are leaving the state to terminate a pregnancy after the first trimester, traveling to such cities as Seattle — trips that can take up to three days.

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