Photo by qbubbles

After weeks of heated debate and the entry of the word “transvaginal” into the English lexicon, yesterday afternoon Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law a bill that will require women seeking an abortion to get an ultrasound beforehand.

In a statement, McDonnell defended the law, saying that it merely provides women with more information before making the decision to get an abortion:

Women have a right to know all the available medical and legal information surrounding the abortion decision before giving legally effective informed consent. Informed consent is already required prior to an abortion being performed in Virginia, based on the longstanding health care concept that complete information about a medical procedure must be given to a patient before she can freely consent to a procedure. As difficult as an abortion decision is, the information provided by ultrasounds, along with other information given by the doctor pursuant to current law and prevailing medical practice, can help the mother make a fully informed decision.

This bill does not legally alter a woman’s ability to make a choice regarding her pregnancy. It does, however, put Virginia in line with 23 other states that have some type of requirement that a woman be offered a view of an ultrasound before an abortion can be performed.

The version of the law he signed scraps what was the most controversial provision—under the original version, women seeking an abortion would be subject to an invasive transvaginal ultrasound, a process that some equated with state-sponsored rape. The revelation became the butt of national jokes, spurred aggressive opposition to the bill and forced McDonnell and fellow Virginia Republicans to make quick amendments to salvage the whole measure. (It also proved to be quite the bedroom turnoff for one Virginia legislator.) One controversial provision stayed in the law, though—while women won’t have to look at the image of the ultrasound, it will be kept in their medical fil for seven years.

In related news, Virginia legislators fought over police actions related to the arrest of 31 pro-choice protesters in Richmond last weekend. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, some Democrats argued that the police presence was excessive, while Republicans defended it because they claimed that members of “an identified anarchist, armed terrorist group” participated. The members of the group, known as The Wingnut, denied that they had been present at the protest.