Board of Health,

Dear Members of the Board of Health,

Please maintain strong abortion center regulations. Since the regulation process began, health department inspectors have uncovered hundreds of health and safety violations. An especially troubling revelation was made at the Roanoke Medical Center for Women, where inspectors documented that a 16 year-old and two 14 year-old girls had abortions without documented parental consent. The abortion industry has fought regulation for years claiming it can regulate itself, yet repeatedly independent inspectors have found serious deficiencies, even during announced inspections. Abortion centers are not able to self-regulate. Abortion is not healthcare because it ends lives instead of healing them. However, since abortion operates under the guise of healthcare, abortion centers must adhere to the regulatory standards of other healthcare facilities. Simply, Virginia women and minor girls deserve nothing less. Thank you for considering my perspective on this important matter.

Children under 18 are not allowed to vote for a good reason: they do not fully understand politics or the consequences of their votes. Why allow these same under-aged children the ability to instill bodily harm to themselves and their unborn child, WITHOUT parental consent, via institutions who are blatantly breaking the law and continue to provide fatal services under the guise of "health professionals""Please protect the health and well-being of women of all ages AND the unborn children. Abortions are NOT beneficial to the health or mentality of either party involved. Elinor Schneider