Board of Health,

As I shared with you at the Dec. 4th meeting, I know personally that complications from abortions can be catastrophic, as in the testimony of my niece, who almost lost her life following her abortion. Please, especially in light of all the violations that have been noted thus far, please continue to uphold the utmost safety standards for the women of this Commonwealth who seek abortions. When we tell women that we would rather have an increasingly expansive abortion industry than ensure that they are taken care of during this difficult decision, we are disrespecting them. The women of Virginia deserve better, we need to ensure their safety, even when they seek this "routine" procedure. Carla Herrmann