Dear Legislator:

As a nurse and midwife I have helped/cared for underserved women for more than 35 years-birth, contraception, providing Sexual assault exams after rape. I have provided care for women having a second trimester abortion where they have gone through labor.  Women are very sad that they can not care for the fetus they are carrying. A women struggling with chronic mental illness, addiction and bad health suffers daily when she has a child she must face everyday that is beyond her capacity to care for. 

I have seen women over my years of knowing the community & family,where the additional child overwhelms the family and all the children go into foster care. A decison to have an abortion is not an easy decision.  Many women do not have knowledge they are carrying a fetus with grave lifelong health problems till 21 wks gestation when the genetic screenings and ultrasounds are completed. Before viability a women should / must have the choice, and access to termination.

Thankyou for your consideration.