The Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health is a coalition of advocates, health care providers, and community members concerned about women’s access to reproductive health care.   We came together in 2011 out of a deep concern about the effects of Senate Bill 924 and related regulation of health care facilities that provide abortion care on women’s health and safety.  For almost forty years, reproductive health care facilities have provided safe, high quality health care to women seeking abortion care in Virginia.  First-trimester abortion care is extremely safe, and health care professionals safely provide it to women in office-based practices throughout the country. 

The emergency regulations currently in effect will have a significantly harmful impact on women’s ability to access first-trimester abortion care in Virginia.  Further, the emergency regulations inappropriately single out health care facilities that provide abortion care from all other health care facilities for burdensome, impractical regulations that are not grounded in medical reality.  The Coalition has submitted (by fax and email) comments addressing the four most serious issues contained in the regulations, and offering recommendations for the Board to address those issues in the permanent regulations while maintaining patient safety and access.  The comment package is also available on our website.  

We urge the Board to consider carefully the issues discussed in our comments, the medical reality of the safety of first-trimester abortion care, and the importance of women’s access to health care in Virginia, in promulgating the permanent regulations.  In addition, we are requesting a public hearing after permanent regulations have been proposed.

Respectfully,

The Virginia Coalition to Protect Women's Health