IN abortion records to once again be public
INDIANA -- Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed nine executive orders Thursday. One of them is to ensure Indiana's abortion laws are "fully and faithfully executed."
As Braun wrote in EO-25-20, Indiana code establishes public policy that "childbirth is preferred encouraged and supported over abortion." The order reaffirms what is already policy, that healthcare providers submit TPRs, or terminated pregnancy reports, to the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH).
TPRs are reports made for every abortion in the state, but after Indiana's near total abortion ban, which took effect in August 2023, IDOH stopped making their reports publicly accessible to protect the now limited patients' privacy. IDOH still releases quarterly aggregated data.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita wanted to make the reports public once again as he stated in in April 2024 press conference. Now, Braun's executive order seems to do just that.
"The abortion ban in Indiana is now so narrow that releasing, even without names of patients, individualized reports really would have the effect of outing people," said April Lidinsky.
Lidinsky, professor of women’s and gender studies at Indiana University South Bend, echoing the concerns of many.
The order states one of the functions of TPRs is “to monitor all abortions performed in Indiana to assure the abortions are done only under the authorized provisions of the law."
"The question is, what is the problem?" Lidinsky said. "There is no evidence that people are not following the law, so I think people deserve to know what problem is this fixing?"
In Indiana, the only exceptions for abortions are rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies, and health of the mother.
"These are situations that are catastrophic, that are devastating," Lidinsky said, "and those are the cases when people who are in those situations are working with medical providers who know that their licenses are on the line. Those are the cases he is deciding to need to be made public. Again, why? Why? There's no other medical care that's subject to that kind of individualized interest."
AG Rokita backed a lawsuit filed by local nonprofit, Voices for Life, against IDOH to get individual TPRs. A judge sided with IDOH, dismissing the lawsuit in September. Voices for Life is appealing.
"If the purpose is improved Hoosier health, then let's listen to the medical experts," Lidinsky said. "Why is the department of health opposed to this change?"
Many on the other side of the aisle, including the regional CEO of Planned Parenthood, believe this is an intimidation tactic for healthcare providers.
And Lidinsky said she believes it is a cruel violation of privacy for vulnerable women.
"There's no evidence this would improve the health of people in Indiana. I think the cruelty is the point," Lidinsky said.
Previously, Indiana's Public Access Counselor sided with the IDOH in its decision to withhold individual TPRs. However, he declined ABC57's request for comment Thursday.
Voices for Life also declined to comment.
The IDOH replied to ABC57's request with the following statement:
“The Indiana Department of Health is complying with the executive order. Additional questions can be directed to the Governor’s office.”