(A) It is not a violation of § 44-41-630 if an abortion is performed or induced on a pregnant woman due to a medical emergency or is performed to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent the serious risk of a substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman.

(B)(1) § 44-41-630 does not apply to a physician who performs or induces an abortion if the physician determines according to standard medical practice that a medical emergency exists or is performed to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent the serious risk of a substantial or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, that prevents compliance with the section.

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-41-640

  • Abortion: means the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610
  • Contraceptive: means a drug, device, or chemical that prevents ovulation, conception, or the implantation of a fertilized ovum in a woman's uterine wall after conception. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610
  • Medical emergency: means in reasonable medical judgment, a condition exists that has complicated the pregnant woman's medical condition and necessitates an abortion to prevent death or serious risk of a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610
  • Physician: means a person licensed to practice medicine in this State. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610
  • Pregnant: means the human biological female reproductive condition of having a living unborn child within her body, whether or not she has reached the age of majority. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610
  • Reasonable medical judgment: means a medical judgment that would be made by a reasonably prudent physician who is knowledgeable about the case and the treatment possibilities with respect to the medical conditions involved. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610
  • Unborn child: means an individual organism of the species homo sapiens from conception until live birth. See South Carolina Code 44-41-610

(2) A physician who performs or induces an abortion on a pregnant woman based on the exception in item (1) shall make written notations in the pregnant woman’s medical records of the following:

(a) the physician’s belief that a medical emergency necessitating the abortion existed;

(b) the medical condition of the pregnant woman that assertedly prevented compliance with § 44-41-630; and

(c) the medical rationale to support the physician’s or person’s conclusion that the pregnant woman’s medical condition necessitated the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death and a medical emergency necessitating the abortion existed.

(3) A physician performing a medical procedure pursuant to item (1) shall make reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve the life of the pregnant woman’s unborn child, to the extent that it does not risk the death of the pregnant woman or the serious risk of a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman, not including psychological or emotional conditions and in a manner consistent with reasonable medical practices. A medical procedure shall not be considered necessary if it is performed based upon a claim or diagnosis that the woman will engage in conduct that she intends to result in her death or in a substantial physical impairment of a major bodily function.

(4)(a) For at least seven years from the date the notations are made in the pregnant woman’s medical records, the physician owner of the pregnant woman’s medical records shall maintain a record of the notations and in his own records a copy of the notations.

(b) A person, if he is the owner of the pregnant woman’s medical records, who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony and must be fined up to ten thousand dollars, imprisoned for not more than two years, or both.

(c) An entity with ownership of the pregnant woman’s medical records that violates item (3) must be fined up to fifty thousand dollars.

(C)(1) It is not a violation of § 44-41-630 for a physician to perform a medical procedure necessary in his reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death of a pregnant woman or the serious risk of a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman, not including psychological or emotional conditions.

(2) It is presumed that the following medical conditions constitute a risk of death or serious risk of a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of a pregnant woman, not including psychological or emotional conditions: molar pregnancy, partial molar pregnancy, blighted ovum, ectopic pregnancy, severe preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, abruptio placentae, severe physical maternal trauma, uterine rupture, intrauterine fetal demise, and miscarriage. However, when an unborn child is alive in utero, the physician must make all reasonable efforts to deliver and save the life of an unborn child during the process of separating the unborn child from the pregnant woman, to the extent that it does not adversely affect the life or physical health of the pregnant woman, and in a manner that is consistent with reasonable medical practice. The enumeration of the medical conditions in this item is not intended to exclude or abrogate other conditions that satisfy the exclusions contained in item (1) or prevent other procedures that are not included in the definition of abortion.

(3) A physician who performs a medical procedure pursuant to item (1) shall declare, in a written document maintained with the woman’s medical records, that the medical procedure was necessary, the woman’s medical condition necessitating the procedure, the physician’s rationale for his conclusion that the procedure was necessary, and that all reasonable efforts were made to save the unborn child in the event it was living prior to the procedure. The declaration required by this item must be placed in the woman’s medical records not later than thirty days after the procedure was completed. A physician’s exercise of reasonable medical judgment in relation to a medical procedure undertaken pursuant to this subsection is presumed to be within the applicable standard of care.

(D) Medical treatment provided to a pregnant woman by a physician which results in the accidental or unintentional injury or death of her unborn child is not a violation of § 44-41-630.

(E) It is not a violation of § 44-41-630 to use, sell, or administer a contraceptive measure, drug, chemical, or device if the contraceptive measure, drug, chemical, or device is used, sold, prescribed or administered in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and is not used, sold, prescribed or administered to cause or induce an abortion.