Planned Parenthood sues Idaho over abortion reporting law

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands is suing the state of Idaho in federal court over new abortion reporting requirements that critics say are unconstitutional and intended to stigmatize women seeking medical care.

Planned Parenthood filed the lawsuit in Idaho’s U.S. District Court on Tuesday, asking a judge to declare the reporting law void.

The law, which went into effect on July 1, created a list of what lawmakers deemed to be complications of abortion, and required health professionals to report when they occurred. The list includes things that normally occur in the immediate days after an abortion, such as bleeding, as well as things that are rare and typically considered by doctors to be unrelated to abortion procedures like an allergic reaction to anesthesia.

Abortion providers must also collect personal information about women receiving abortion procedures, such as her age, race, number of children and how many previous abortions she has had in the past.