Anti-Abortion Bill Passes W.V. Senate Committee
Contact: Molly Rivera, [email protected] or 919-438-1109
For Immediate Release: April 7, 2021 (Updated: April 7, 2021, 9:33 p.m.)
CHARLESTON — Planned Parenthood South Atlantic is speaking out against an anti-abortion bill that would force doctors to provide medically inaccurate information about medication abortion to their patients. House Bill 2982 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today and now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote. If the full Senate passes the bill, it will head to the governor’s desk for his signature or veto.
H.B. 2982 is based on an unproven theory that a medication abortion can be “stopped.” There is no scientific or medical evidence that proves that “stopping” a medication abortion is possible. The medical protocol proposed in this bill could in fact endanger people’s health. A study launched in early 2019 to test this theory had to be halted early due to patient safety concerns, including a high risk of severe hemorrhaging.
“Politicians should not interfere in medical best practices, the informed consent process, or a person’s decision about their body,” said Dr. Katherine Farris, Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “This bill would interfere in the doctor-patient relationship and undermine the informed consent process by forcing doctors to tell their patients information that is medically inaccurate and could be harmful to their health. Medical professionals must be able to provide the highest quality health care based on their years of training and in keeping with current research and medical best practices.”
“This bill is written by politicians — not doctors — and is about shaming women and blocking access to safe, legal, medical care,” said Alisa Clements, W.V. Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “People don’t turn to politicians for advice about mammograms, prenatal care, or cancer treatments. Politicians should not be involved in a person’s private medical decisions about their pregnancy or their decision to end that pregnancy.”
Medication abortion is a non-invasive, FDA-approved method to end an early pregnancy, and it is incredibly safe. With nearly 20 years of use in the U.S., by almost 4 million women, there is well-documented evidence that medication abortion is both safe and effective.
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