Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Virginia Department of Health
 
Board
State Board of Health
 
chapter
Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities [12 VAC 5 ‑ 412]
Action Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities
Stage Emergency/NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 2/15/2012
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1/25/12  8:50 am
Commenter: Marilyn Stegman

Preserve women's access to reproductive healthcare
 

Please amend the proposed permanent regulations to ensure the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventive reproductive healthcare.

  • The proposed regulations are burdensome and unnecessary. They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to healthcare.
  • Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality healthcare, not less. The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' healthcare options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
  • Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
  • The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Thank you.

CommentID: 21533