Board of Health,

As a Virginian, as a parent, and as a woman, I strongly urge you to leave the existing abortion center regulation in place. It is imperative that the Board of Virginia Health unequivocally affirms the existing abortion center regulation standard that ensures not only the respect for all women of Virginia, but also the safety of Virginia women who are patients of these centers.Inspections of Virginia’s abortion centers have revealed over 400 violations in just over two years. Everything from unsterilized equipment, to mishandling of narcotics, to dead babies in leaking plastic bags stored in freezers have been revealed during these inspections. These conditions are the results of a self-regulating industry and would be continuing without the existing abortion center regulation standard. These violations are abhorrent. Amending, thus weakening, the existing abortion center regulation, the Board of Virginia Health will be considering these violations, at some level, acceptable. It is of paramount importance that the existing abortion center regulation standard remains in tact. The existing abortion center regulation maintains, at least, a basic standard of sanitation and medical safety standards. It is imperative that the Board of Virginia Health emphatically affirms the standard of the existing abortion center regulation. Victoria Rusinko