Alabama Legislature Launches All Out Attack on Reproductive Health

Today, The Birmingham News, posted my letter to the editor on a medically unnecessary and politically motivated TRAP bill introduced in the Alabama legislature. 

The Alabama legislature is launching an all out attack on the reproductive health care of women and their families in the state.

                                

We know from other states like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Mississippi that obtaining admitting privileges and/or new licenses to comply with regulations targeting only abortion providers is often a very political process. Admitting privileges requirements could force facilities in Alabama to close if their current physicians are unable to obtain these privileges from hospitals for strictly politically-motivated reasons.

The medically unnecessary structural requirements are also problematic because many of the clinics in the state do not have the means to undertake extensive renovations. These renovations are medically unnecessary and there is no evidence that they would do anything to improve patient safety.

Abortion is one of the safest and most commonly provided medical procedures in the United States. HB 57/SB 130 is not about ensuring that abortion care is safe.  They are about ensuring that abortion care is unavailable in Alabama.

North Dakota Governor Signs Extreme Abortion Ban Bill

Today, I released the following statement on North Dakota Governor Dalrymple's approval of the most extreme abortion ban bill in the country: 

Today, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple signed the most extreme ban on abortion in the entire country. This bill criminalizes abortion care very early in pregnancy—before most women are even aware that they are pregnant— and would ban nearly all abortion care in North Dakota.

We are outraged by Governor Dalrymple’s complete disregard for the health and well-being of women in North Dakota. As we have seen in other countries and in the United States before Roe v. Wade, banning abortion doesn't decrease the need for abortion care, it just forces women to jeopardize their health and sometimes risk their lives to obtain the abortion care they need.

Furthermore, this ban is blatantly unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has consistently held that states may not ban abortion care before viability. This bill is nothing more than a clear attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Politicians should not pass laws that disregard women’s constitutional protections or the reality that women need and deserve access to safe, legal abortion care. We support NAF member Red River Women’s Clinic’s efforts to continue to provide high quality abortion care for women in North Dakota.

Arkansas Senate Votes to Override Veto of 12-Week Abortion Ban

The Arkansas Senate voted today to override Governor Mike Beebe's veto of legislation that would ban most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.  

This bill is the most extreme and earliest ban on abortion care in the entire country, and it is blatantly unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has consistently held that states may not ban abortion care before viability. We applaud Governor Beebe for vetoing this unconstitutional abortion ban.

The 12-week ban is just the latest attempt by anti-choice legislators to restrict women’s access to abortion care. Last week, the Arkansas House and Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto of a 20-week abortion ban, which took effect last week.

If the House votes to override the 12-week ban, it would take effect this summer unless it is enjoined.

No Medical Reason for Requiring Ultrasound

Today, the Indianapolis Star, posted my letter to the editor on the state's anti-choice legislation that would require women to get an ultrasound before a medication abortion. 

No matter what supporters of Senate Bill 37 say, this bill is a blatant example of anti-choice legislators attempting to practice medicine without a license.

The bill would require women who choose early medical abortion care to undergo a medically unnecessary ultrasound. As the professional association of abortion providers in North America, the National Abortion Federation sets the standards for quality abortion care through our evidence-based clinical policy guidelines. Our guidelines do not require an ultrasound for first-trimester abortion care — including medical abortion — because there is no evidence that doing so improves patient outcomes or the safety of abortion care. Abortion is already one of the safest medical procedures provided in the United States and more than 1.75 million women have chosen medical abortion to safely terminate an early pregnancy since mifepristone was approved by the FDA in 2000.

The personal ideologies of some Indiana legislators should not trump credible scientific evidence and the expertise of health-care providers. There is no medical justification for SB 37, and we urge legislators to reject this politically motivated legislation.