US Customs Asks Woman if she has had an abortion.

[Bern]

While I respect a country can control its borders, asking a woman if she is pregnant is questionable, whether she had an abortion crosses a line.

https://www.businessinsider.com/aust...fficial-2022-7

[Fredk]

Don't want to let potential murderers into through your country now do you?

[4underthru9]

So sad.

[hookminor]

I would have thought that HIPPA laws would not allow someone to be asked a question like that.

[nearace]

So sad.

Exactly

[Bern]

I would have thought that HIPPA laws would not allow someone to be asked a question like that.

It does seem to be a very odd question however I don't see how Hippa would apply. Borders are a civil rights grey zone in most countries. Where else can the government have unfetterred access to all of your personal data and online accounts if they decide to ask?

[mpare]

There are a number of things regarding this story that make no sense to me, not the least of which is a US customs official asking an Aussie whether she was pregnant and whether she’d had an abortion.

While I respect a country can control its borders, asking a woman if she is pregnant is questionable, whether she had an abortion crosses a line.

https://www.businessinsider.com/aust...fficial-2022-7

[SeanAvery2point0]

I would have thought that HIPPA laws would not allow someone to be asked a question like that.

How is that any different than asking somebody's vaccination status? The ship carrying privacy rights, especially for medical information, has sailed.

[mpare]

The situations are entirely different in my estimation. The state can make a compelling argument in favour of why asking about one’s vaccination status, especially during a pandemic. Here the health and safety of others may be implicated. No such argument can be made in the state’s favour with respect to asking about a woman’s pregnancy or whether she’s had an abortion.

How is that any different than asking somebody's vaccination status? The ship carrying privacy rights, especially for medical information, has sailed.

[Ignatius Reilly]

The situations are entirely different in my estimation. The state can make a compelling argument in favour of why asking about one’s vaccination status, especially during a pandemic. Here the health and safety of others may be implicated. No such argument can be made in the state’s favour with respect to asking about a woman’s pregnancy or whether she’s had an abortion.

I'm quite sure he knew that.

(At least I sure hope so.... )

[SeanAvery2point0]

The situations are entirely different in my estimation. The state can make a compelling argument in favour of why asking about one’s vaccination status, especially during a pandemic. Here the health and safety of others may be implicated. No such argument can be made in the state’s favour with respect to asking about a woman’s pregnancy or whether she’s had an abortion.

Once you begin to justify when it’s pragmatic and when it’s not, it becomes politically divisive. Its one OR the other. Either we have accept that we have privacy with regards to medical
information, or we don’t, especially at an international border crossing.

[Bern]

Once you begin to justify when it’s pragmatic and when it’s not, it becomes politically divisive. Its one OR the other. Either we have accept that we have privacy with regards to medical
information, or we don’t, especially at an international border crossing.

In the event of a worldwide pandemic, laws were passed mandating vaccinations for entry into the country. Vaccinations have been required for decades when applying for visas to enter countries. Someone's past medical history pertaining to abortion should have no impact on a person's ability to enter a country. The only reason I can think why this question would be asked is political.

[SeanAvery2point0]

In the event of a worldwide pandemic, laws were passed mandating vaccinations for entry into the country. Vaccinations have been required for decades when applying for visas to enter countries. Someone's past medical history pertaining to abortion should have no impact on a person's ability to enter a country. The only reason I can think why this question would be asked is political.

The difference with requiring proof of covid vaccination was…. Not political?

[Bern]

The difference with requiring proof of covid vaccination was…. Not political?

Never has been, just good science.

[vermin40]

One of my employees was travelling by car to Nashville a couple weeks ago for a cheerleading competition with her teenage daughter and was turned away at the border by US Customs for being unvaxxed. When she told me I was shocked that they asked or would even care.
Turns out it was just the excuse they used to deny entry.
Apparently she checked off a lotta boxes on the drug smuggling checklist.
She’s very thin, very nervous at the best of times so I imagine she was off the charts nervous at the border, she had rented a car for the trip versus using her own, her daughter has a different last name than her and she had not booked a hotel in Nashville.
According to a buddy who has worked Homeland Security she could not have done much more to announce that she was crossing the border to smuggle drugs back in.
So the dude at the border simply said “you’re unvaxxed stay out.”
So I get the warning signs to the Customs Agent but that would suck being her and having the unvaxxed status used to deny entry when that was not the real reason.