Indy abortion bill foes troll governor about their periods

Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this story contained anonymous quotes that don't meet USA TODAY standards for sourcing.

A social media campaign by opponents of a restrictive new Indiana abortion bill has prompted women to call Gov. Mike Pence's office to report on the status of their menstrual cycle.

The Facebook page "Periods for Pence" has received more than 11,500 "likes" since it was posted three days ago. By Saturday, a Twitter page was also up and running.

The measure, signed into law last week by Pence, a Republican, makes Indiana only the second state to prohibit a woman from seeking an abortion because her fetus was diagnosed with a disability such as Down syndrome. It also prohibits abortions when they are sought based on the gender or race of a fetus and requires the remains of miscarried or aborted fetuses to be interred or cremated.

Pence, a social conservative with a long track record of opposing abortion, described the new restrictions as a “comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life,” The Indianapolis Star reports.

The "Period for Pence" group calls on supporters to "Let Governor Mike Pence know what you think about his intrusive HEA 1337 bill. Women should have the right to make their own medical decisions!"

It includes purported calls by women who said they took up the suggestion to call the governor:

Caller: "I need to get a message to the Governor that I am on day three of my period. My flow seems abnormally heavy, but my cramps are much better," one woman called to say.

Indiana gov signs abortion restrictions into law

Pence's office: “Ma'am, what is it that I can help you with."

Caller: “Oh, I don’t need your help, I just wanted to keep Governor Pence informed of my reproductive cycle, since he seems so concerned."

Another caller posted her interaction with the governor's office:

Them: "Good Morning, Governor Pence's office"
Me: "Good Morning. I just wanted to inform the Governor that things seem to be drying up today. No babies seem to be up in there. Okay?"
Them: (Sounding strangely horrified and chipper at the same time) "Ma'am, can we have your name?"
Me: "Sure. It's Sue."
Them: "And your last name?"
Me: "Magina. That's M-A-G-I-N-A. It rhymes with--"
Them: "I've got it." 
*Click*

The creator of the page is a 39-year-old married woman and mother of one who lives in an Indianapolis suburb. She told USA TODAY that she got the idea after reading the bill. The woman, who said she wanted to remain anonymous because she feared for her safety, said she created "Periods for Pence" and had 700 Facebook followers by the next day.

Stephanie Hodgin, deputy press secretary for Pence, issued a statement to WRTV and other news outlets that said, “We are always willing to take calls from constituents who have questions, concerns or are looking for assistance."

Pence is up for re-election in November, but Republican strategist Mike Murphy tells WXIN-TV that this Facebook effort is not likely to hurt him politically because  "people who are joining this website or this Facebook page weren’t going to vote for him anyhow.”

“Right to life in this state is a winning issue, hands down,” he said.

A similar campaign was launched in February against new Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin after he signed legislation requiring women to have a face-to-face consultation with their doctor at least 24 hours before having an abortion, the newsandtribune.com reports. The hashtag #AskBevinAboutMyVag trended for several days.