Iranian authority mandates pregnant women be reported to prevent 'criminal abortions'

From Texas to Tehran, women have been fighting to protect their right to have an abortion -- some by taking over the streets and others by taking over social media.

From Texas to Tehran, women have been fighting to protect their right to have an abortion -- some by taking over the streets and others by taking over social media.

While a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy sparked protests across the United States, a letter from an official judicial body in Iran has mandated that local laboratories report on women with positive pregnancy tests to prevent "criminal abortions."

The letter, issued by the crime prevention deputy at the judiciary in Iran's Mazandaran province, was leaked on Twitter by health and medical journalist Mahdiar Saeedian.

"One of the ways to prevent abortion is ... by connecting laboratories and the clinical centres to introduce mothers with positive pregnancy test results," the letter states.