Appeals court upholds SD abortion suicide advisory - KOTA Territory News

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) _ A federal appeals court has upheld a portion of a 2005 South Dakota law that requires a doctor to tell a woman seeking an abortion that she faces an increased risk of suicide.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the portion of the law 7-4 in a ruling issued Tuesday. The full circuit court agreed to rehear the case after a three-judge panel of the court in September upheld U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier's decision to overturn the requirement following a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood.  

The suicide advisory was part of a larger law requiring South Dakota doctors to provide women with certain information before an abortion can be considered voluntary.

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The head of Planned Parenthood for South Dakota says she is `extremely disappointed' with the decision. Sarah Stoesz says it ``represents the greatest intrusion by the government into the patient doctor relationship to date.''

 She says there is no scientific evidence that shows a cause and effect relationship between abortion and suicide.

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Attorney General Marty Jackley says the ruling  makes it ``very clear'' that a 2005 abortion law is constitutional.

 ``Now, essentially, the entirety of the 2005 legislation aimed at helping inform a woman of certain risks before an abortion will now be in place and all of it will be in effect.''