Abortion

Did actor Sam Elliott say that he won't support a political party "that supports abortion over life"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the Academy Award-nominated actor ever made that remark, part of a longer purported quote that references other hot-button isues. He instead said in a 2015 interview that he was "very much pro-choice." The claim…

Did Kentucky legislation require women to submit a doctor's statement about whether they are pregnant? No, that's not true: An amendment in 2019 to an abortion "trigger bill" that would outlaw abortion in Kentucky was proposed as a protest. The amendment was "totally satire," said state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian in 2022. It did not become law. The claim appeared…

Can people target U.S. Supreme Court justices with Internet Protocol (IP) addresses found on social media? No, that's not true: The IP addresses superimposed over the smiling photos of the five judges who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade do not appear to be associated with any of the justices. The high court opinion on abortion was announced on June…

Has a political action committee proved that Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert had two abortions and worked as an unlicensed escort? No, as of June 19, 2022, the allegations about the anti-abortion Republican congresswoman, made in a press release from the American Muckrakers political action committee, include no independent verification or documentation. The allegations are corroborated only by what the PAC…

Does data given to the Food and Drug Administration before Pfizer COVID-19 shots were officially approved show up to 97 percent of vaccinated pregnant women lost their babies? No, that's not true: The Pfizer document that was released as part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit does not provide the total number of pregnant women in 63 countries…

Has Walmart announced a plan to offer abortion services? No, that's not true: The creator of a video that made the claim labelled as satirical his "report" that the major retailer would offer abortion services . The claim appeared in a video posted to Facebook May 14, 2022, by Mark Dice, an Internet personality who has published other satirical videos.…

Does joining The Satanic Temple give a member legal protection to terminate a pregnancy? Not necessarily: According to legal experts, it could -- but joining "opportunistically" probably won't be applicable. Or as Mark Tushnet, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law emeritus at Harvard Law School, wrote in an email to Lead Stories on May 4, 2022, such a claim…

Are people in Alabama who seek or get an abortion "thrown in prison for life," even if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest? No, that's not true: There's no such law in Alabama. In 2019, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a bill designed to essentially ban abortion in the state, except for when an abortion…

Did Tennessee and Missouri ban Plan B and other emergency contraceptive pills? No, that's not true: These states are not banning Plan B and other morning-after pills at the time of writing. Tennessee legislators passed a bill criminalizing certain actions by health professionals related to abortion-inducing pills, which are entirely different than emergency contraceptive pills. Meanwhile, discussions about Missouri's abortion…

Does the Netherlands have the lowest abortion rate in the world? No, that's not true: Although the Netherlands has a low abortion rate, with data showing that it has an estimated average annual rate of seven abortions per 1,000 women, it is not the lowest in the world. That title belongs to both Singapore and Switzerland, which, according to the…