To Whom It May Concern:

Last year, the Virginia Board of Health and Governor McDonnell approved strong emergency regulations applicable to abortion centers.  The Board of Health now needs to decide whether these regulations will be re-enacted as permanent regulations.  It is absolutely critical that the Board of Health accept the strongest possible regulations, and that these be permanent regulations.

Abortion is not health care because it ends lives rather than healing them.  The existence of the abortion industry under the guise of "health care" is, however, a sad and tragic reality in our Commonwealth and our country.  Given this reality, the abortion industry should, and indeed must, be required to meet reasonable, commonsense health and safety standards to protect women’s health. I strongly support the current regulations on abortion centers approved last year.  These regulations should be made permanent and should continue to include the strongest standards.
 

The current regulations are reasonable, common sense measures to ensure that life-saving equipment is on hand, infections are prevented, and that clear written policies and building guidelines are in place.  They were proposed by medical experts at the Department of Health and were approved 12-1 by the Board of Health.  Virginia's abortion centers must be licensed, regulated, and inspected to protect women’s health and safety.

I reject the premise that abortion is “health care” because it ends lives instead of healing them, but as long as the abortion industry is allowed to operate within the health care system it must be required to adhere to well-defined health and safety standards.

Please work to enact the strongest possible permanent regulations on abortion centers.

Sincerely,

Cassandra Henry