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 Amend Regulations Following Periodic Review
Stage NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 2/11/2015
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2/11/15  8:34 pm
Commenter: Cheryl Andreen, Woman

Please reverse the current TRAP regulation.
 

Please reverse the current TRAP regulation. They were clearly designed to sidestep Roe v. Wade's decision to give women and their doctors domain over their health and decision-making.

No woman makes the decision to have an abortion lightly.  It is a heartrending choice, but one that needs to be made under some circumstances.

If these regulations were truly about health, they would include oral surgeons' facilities and cosmetic surgery clinics and tattoo parlors as well. These regulations are damaging to women's health as well as a woman's right to choose how best to resolve her own personal decisions. When women's access to abortion as well as other preventive care are restricted, it is clear that they will choose alternate, less safe access to abortion (remember the coat hanger days) and they will be less likely to find easy, affordable access to breast cancer screenings and PAP exams. The Board of Health cannot, in clear conscience, uphold these regulations, when it is clear that they are in place solely to prevent women’s access to legal health procedures. Please use your judgment as health professionals to reverse these regulations, because you know that women's health really does depend on access to clinics that will provide the  services. 

CommentID: 39148