Allison Carter

allison.carter@indystar.com

Women are taking to social media to protest a controversial new Indiana abortion bill in an unconventional way.

The Facebook page Periods for Pence has gained more than 19,000 fans since it was created on March 28. And, at its urging, women have been calling Gov. Mike Pence and other legislators to give status updates on their menstrual cycles.

The abortion bill, signed into law by Pence on March 25, requires the remains of aborted or miscarried fetuses to be interred or cremated. It also bans abortions sought solely due to fetal abnormality, including Downs syndrome, as well as sought solely on the basis of race or gender. It will go into effect July 1.

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"Fertilized eggs can be expelled during a woman's period without a woman even knowing that she might have had the potential blastocyst in her," a post on the Periods for Pence Facebook page read. "Therefore, any period could potentially be a miscarriage without knowledge." The page asked women to call Gov. Pence's office to "report their periods," lest they unwittingly dispose of an embryo in the earliest stages of development.

Under the law, "a miscarried or aborted fetus must be interred or cremated by a facility having possession of the remains. (It) requires a person or facility having possession of a miscarried or aborted fetus to ensure that the miscarried fetus or aborted fetus is preserved until final disposition occurs."

Women answered the Facebook page's request. In the last 24 hours alone, more than 150 people have posted to the Facebook page, many offering transcripts of their phone calls to officials' offices.

Rep. Casey Cox, R-Fort Wayne, author of the bill, is a frequent target for calls and emails.

The rallying cry also has a presence on Twitter. #PeriodsForPence has been tweeted nearly 1,500 times.

Responding to the group, the governor’s office has said, “We are always willing to take calls from constituents who have questions, concerns or are looking for assistance.” The office said that the governor has received about the same number of phone calls as he has on other hot-button issues this year. Supporters of the bill have also chimed in, the governor's office said, though they are more likely to send handwritten letters.

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Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky has said it plans to request a preliminary injunction to block the new restrictions.

Chelsea Schneider contributed to this story.

Allison Carter is an engagement producer at IndyStar. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonLCarter.