Board of Health,

Women have the right to be safe when undergoing medical procedures. There should be equal regulation of abortion centers as their are for any other medical facilities.

Dear Members of the Board of Health,

The decision to issue a NOIRA on the abortion center regulations at your December 4, 2014 meeting is premature and unnecessary. The strongest possible abortion center regulations are essential for the health and safety of Virginia women and must be maintained. Health department inspectors have uncovered hundreds of health and safety violations. These violations include improper hand washing procedures and blood splatter on instruments and examination tables and abortions on minors without documented informed consent. Recent inspections also revealed significant abuse as an abortion center recorded an incredibly high number of complications from attempted chemical abortions with RU-486. The abortion industry has fought regulation for years, yet repeatedly independent inspectors find 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 within the healthcare system, abortion centers must adhere to the regulatory standards of other healthcare facilities. Simply, Virginia women deserve nothing less. Thank you for considering my perspective on this important matter.

As lawmakers, I would hope that the violations of the most basic health guidelines found in some of the abortion facilities would give you cause and justification to maintain the same safety standards and regulations that are provided for other facilities. Virginians assume safety. Please vote to ensure that Virginia women have this safety. Mrs. Denise Bowman