Hello,

I am writing to express my great opposition to the Virginia TRAP regulations that are currently being drafted by the Virginia Board of Health. These regulations are medically unnecessary and will restrict the availablility of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventative reproductive care for women across the state of Virginia. It is obviously important that the state government ensure that abortions are being performed in a safe, clean environment.  However, the requirements that the State of Virginia is looking to pass on a permanent basis are not necessary for guaranteeing these criteria and have no proven medical benefit - rather, they are designed only to limit the ability of women throughout Virginia to obtain safe abortions and reproductive health care.  Many abortion clinics will have to shut down or pass the cost associated with these new regulations onto their patients, which will limit the ability of young, socioeconomically-disadvantaged women to obtain safe medical care. This care is not limited only to abortions, but also to a wide variety of other reproductive health care services that these clinics offer, including cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment. Therefore, these regulations as they currently stand would cause great harm to underprivileged women. I strongly urge the Virginia Board of Health to revise these regulations to be based purely on medicine and science, and they should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Sarah Little