For pro-lifers on the front lines, the new gadget could hugely improve abortion-bound women’s access to ultrasounds, which have been found highly effective in helping mothers choose life for their baby.
As a member of the board of directors of a crisis pregnancy center, I have had the opportunity to examine the question of how to provide ultrasounds to abortion-minded women which is a proven pro-life counseling technique in the United States but which hasn’t even been tried in Canada (to my knowledge). There are a number of reasons why the Vscan may not work in Canada (licensing issues, Canadian approval, the need for a trained technician, etc…), but there can be no doubt that this device could be a boon to the pro-life movement.
Big Blue Wave, however, notes that there are potential down-sides, too:
For one, feminists can bring these gadgets into third world countries and use them to perform illegal abortions.
Another possible use is for sex-selection abortions. Legitimate ultrasound operations might never use them, but unsavoury characters might use them to reveal to a woman the sex of her baby.
I have a third issue with ultrasound: while I accept it is probably safe for the unborn child, some research on its effects on the child is mildly unsettling.
