I am a social worker and native Virginian who supports the amendments to 12 VAC 5-412. For the past six years, I have helped many women access safe abortion care at Falls Church Healthcare Center. As a social worker, I am particularly interested in the intersecting emotional, physical and mental well-being of my clients. I believe this comprehensive well-being is largely achieved through evidence-based medicine and mental health care. I also believe, from both a professional and personal standpoint, that access to safe abortion care is vital to the citizens of this state.

Through my professional role I have unique insight into the comprehensive services our clinic offers. We help women access numerous services including prenatal care, birth control, breast cancer screenings and annual Well Woman Exams while training medical students and staying up to date on current evidence-based best practices. We also provide domestic violence, sexual assault and counseling resources many of our under resourced clients would never have otherwise received.

In my professional opinion, TRAP laws, such as the regulations that have plauged Virginia for too long now, do not keep women safe. We keep women safe. We respect them and care for them as if they are our own mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and partners. TRAP laws stigmatize Virginia women and make abortion inaccessible for those without without financial resources. We welcome guidelines crafted utilizing evidence-based medical information, not legislation geared towards making our services inaccessible to the women most in need of them.

The clients I have worked with are the reason I will always stand up for access to safe, affordable abortion care. Virginia policy makers should not see the women we work with as political statistics, victims or collateral damage in this debate. They are resilient people with unique journeys and infinite potential who have the right to determine their own destinies. It is time for Virginia to be on the right side of history and promptly adopt amendments to 12 VAC 5-412.

Emily Creveling, MSW