18-608. CERTAIN ABORTIONS PERMITTED — CONDITIONS AND GUIDELINES. The provisions of sections 18-605 and 18-606 shall not apply to and neither this act, nor other controlling rule of Idaho law, shall be deemed to make unlawful an abortion performed by a physician if:

(1) When performed upon a woman who is in the first trimester of pregnancy, the same is performed following the attending physician’s consultation with the pregnant patient and a determination by the physician that such abortion is appropriate in consideration of such factors as in his medical judgment he deems pertinent, including, but not limited to physical, emotional, psychological and/or familial factors, that the child would be born with some physical or mental defect, that the pregnancy resulted from rape, incest or other felonious intercourse, and a legal presumption is hereby created that all illicit intercourse with a girl below the age of sixteen (16) shall be deemed felonious for purposes of this section, the patient’s age and any other consideration relevant to her well-being or directly or otherwise bearing on her health and, in addition to medically diagnosable matters, including but not limited to such factors as the potential stigma of unwed motherhood, the imminence of psychological harm or stress upon the mental and physical health of the patient, the potential stress upon all concerned of an unwanted child or a child brought into a family already unable, psychologically or otherwise, to care for it, and/or the opinion of the patient that maternity or additional offspring probably will force upon her a distressful life and future; the emotional or psychological consequences of not allowing the pregnancy to continue, and the aid and assistance available to the pregnant patient if the pregnancy is allowed to continue; provided, in consideration of all such factors, the physician may rely upon the statements of and the positions taken by the pregnant patient, and the physician shall not be deemed to have held himself out as possessing special expertise in such matters nor shall he be held liable, civilly or otherwise, on account of his good faith exercise of his medical judgment, whether or not influenced by any such nonmedical factors. Abortions permitted by this subsection shall only be lawful if and when performed in a hospital or in a physician’s regular office or a clinic which office or clinic is properly staffed and equipped for the performance of such procedures and respecting which the responsible physician or physicians have made satisfactory arrangements with one or more acute care hospitals within reasonable proximity thereof providing for the prompt availability of hospital care as may be required due to complications or emergencies that might arise.

(2) When performed upon a woman who is in the second trimester of pregnancy, the same is performed in a hospital and is, in the judgment of the attending physician, in the best medical interest of such pregnant woman, considering those factors enumerated in subsection (1) of this section and such other factors as the physician deems pertinent.

(3) When performed upon a woman who is in the third trimester of pregnancy the same is performed in a hospital and, in the judgment of the attending physician, corroborated by a like opinion of a consulting physician concurring therewith, either is necessary for the preservation of the life of such woman or, if not performed, such pregnancy would terminate in birth or delivery of a fetus unable to survive. Third trimester abortions undertaken for preservation of the life of a pregnant patient, as permitted by this subsection, shall, consistent with accepted medical practice and with the well-being and safety of such patient, be performed in a manner consistent with preservation of any reasonable potential for survival of a viable fetus.

History:

[18-608, added 1973, ch. 197, sec. 7, p. 442.]