Fact Sheet: H.B. 5261

Connecticut has long led the fight for reproductive freedom in America. In 1990, lawmakers took bold action by codifying the right to abortion in our state laws. Now, it’s time to modernize our abortion law to eliminate medically unnecessary barriers to abortion access.

H.B. 5261, An Act Increasing Access to Reproductive Health Care, will expand access to care by allowing advance practice clinicians (APCs) to provide safe, routine aspiration abortion to their patients. Existing regulations specify that only doctors can provide in-clinic abortion procedures.

Advance practice clinicians already provide high-quality, compassionate sexual and reproductive health care every day. Patients in Connecticut deserve access to abortion – without barriers and without delay – in their communities, from the health care providers they know and trust.

Current Regulations are Outdated and Unnecessary

• Connecticut’s physician-only requirement singles out abortion for different treatment without any medical justification
• Despite strong evidence that advanced practice registered nurses, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants can provide safe and quality aspiration abortions on par with physicians, they are not allowed to in Connecticut
• Regulations for abortion are outdated and don’t reflect current medical standards, which can lead to delays in the delivery of care and create additional burdens and obstacles for patients

People in Connecticut Still Can’t Access Abortion

• In Connecticut, the right to abortion Is protected – but the right alone doesn’t guarantee access
• In some areas of the state, patients can wait up to two weeks or more for care. This is an unnecessary delay for an essential, time-sensitive procedure
• Permitting APCs to provide aspiration abortion allows patients to obtain timely care from the health provider who already knows them best: the same provider they see for their routine wellness visits and treatment
• Ensuring patients can see their regular provider is especially important for people already systemic facing barriers to care because of their race, their identity, or how much money they have

The Fix: Modernizing our Abortion Law

• Aspiration abortion is a common, routine, and safe way to end a pregnancy – and Connecticut patients deserve timely access to this essential care
• APCs already provide medication abortion and a wide range of reproductive health procedures that are similar to or more complex than aspiration abortion, such as intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, endometrial biopsy, and colposcopies
• Connecticut must catch up – already 14 other states have eliminated similar physician-only requirements
• Distinctions between physicians and APCs with regard to abortion are not based on scientific evidence and do not reflect modern medical care
• Research studies consistently show that type of provider has no significant impact on the quality of care or patient outcomes and satisfaction

 

With reproductive rights and abortion access under attack across the country, the Connecticut General Assembly must act now to expand access to abortion for all patients.