Medical professionals are rigorously trained, and I am proud to stand among them. We work diligently to provide the best care for our patients and endeavor to do no harm. Governor Youngkin’s proposed 15-week abortion ban compels us to do the opposite. Under this bill, if a Virginia doctor performs an abortion because they believe a pregnancy will cause death or irreversible organ damage, and a jury disagrees, the doctor faces a 10-year imprisonment.
In states where abortion has already been criminalized, we see doctors refusing to treat pregnant patients – even when their livelihood is at risk – for fear of criminal prosecution. We see the criminalization of care extend even beyond pregnancy, with some pharmacists refusing to dispense life-saving medication that may cause spontaneous abortion in patients who aren’t even pregnant.
The above excerpt was originally published in The Virginian-Pilot.
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