S.C. House Subcommittee Advances Anti-Abortion Bill on Abortion Provider Appreciation Day
Contact: Molly Rivera, [email protected] or 919-438-1109
For Immediate Release: March 10, 2022
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today the South Carolina House Judiciary Subcommittee approved House Bill 4568, a bill that would require providers to give patients information that is medically inaccurate and against medical best practices. The bill is a companion to Senate Bill 907.
“This bill would interfere in the doctor-patient relationship and undermine the informed consent process by forcing doctors to tell their patients misinformation that is medically inaccurate and could be harmful to their health,” said Dr. Katherine Farris, Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “Patients need medically accurate information, not state-mandated deception, pressure, or shame. 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 — not based on the whims of politicians.”
“Any legislation that forces providers to share medically inaccurate information with their patients is wrong, and to pass this bill on Abortion Provider Appreciation Day is its own brand of callous,” said Vicki Ringer, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “The practices described in this bill are not supported by science and are simply an attempt to perpetuate stigma around abortion care. Politicians should never interfere in medical best practices, the informed consent process, or a person’s decision about their body.”
There is no scientific or medical evidence that proves that “stopping” a medication abortion is possible. 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. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not recommend the practice, stating that “claims of medication abortion reversal are not supported by the body of scientific evidence, and this approach is not recommended in ACOG’s clinical guidance on medication abortion.”
Medication abortion is a non-invasive, FDA-approved method to end an early pregnancy. 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 when taken as prescribed.
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