Action | Amend the Regulation after Assessment and Receipt of Public Comment |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 10/31/2018 |
I would like to ask the Board of Health to maintain the health and safety regulations on abortion. Regardless of how feels about the ethics of abortion, it is a major invasive surgery, and therefore all abortion clinics should be regulated in the same way that all medical facilities are. Most abortion clinics are private facilities outside of hospitals. For example, the Falls Church Healthcare Center, an abortion clinic in Northern Virginia, is located on the top floor of an office building. If these private facilities aren't required to pass annual health inspections, abuse could occur. According to the CDC, 431 women have died from legal abortions in between 1973 and 2013. Many other women have also suffered physical damage. It is only common sense that we require abortion clinics to maintain health and safety regulations. If abortion doctors and clinic staff are truly committed to women's health, they should have no trouble conducting common sense safety practices, such as conducting ultrasounds and ensuring that all fetal body parts are removed. Women also have a right to know if a clinic has been involved in malpractice, and deserve to be informed before they make their decision.