Indiana Judge Upholds Narrow Medical Exceptions in Abortion Ban

The court ruled against expanding exemptions for health-related abortions, maintaining the current near-total ban.

Judge Kelsey Hanlon of Monroe County Circuit Court denied a request to broaden medical exceptions in Indiana's abortion ban.
Planned Parenthood and other providers argued for clearer guidelines to include chronic health conditions and mental health risks.
The judge acknowledged the difficult position of doctors but ruled the current law does not violate women's rights under the state constitution.
Indiana's Attorney General praised the decision, while abortion advocates expressed concern for pregnant women's health and safety.
Indiana's ban, one of the strictest in the U.S., includes limited exceptions for the mother's life, rape, incest, and lethal fetal anomalies.