Board of Health,

While the issue of abortion and a womans right to choose is an important one , both to the potential mother and most importantly to the unborn child - a human being- the safety of both should be of paramount importance. Woman who choose to have an abortion should not be subject to shoddy , unsterilized mills but, instead, should be afforded the safety and health standards of a hospital or clinic.

Dear Members of the Board of Health,

Abortion center regulations are essential for the health and safety of Virginia women and must be maintained. Health department inspectors have uncovered hundreds of health and safety violations. These violations include improper hand washing procedures and blood splatter on instruments and examination tables and abortions on minors without documented informed consent. The most recent inspections revealed significant abuse as an abortion center recorded an incredibly high number of complications from attempted chemical abortions with RU-486. The abortion industry has fought regulation for years, yet repeatedly independent inspectors find serious deficiencies, even during announced inspections. Abortion centers are not able to self-regulate. Abortion is not healthcare because it ends lives instead of healing them. However, since abortion operates under the guise of healthcare abortion centers must adhere to the regulatory standards of other healthcare facilities. Simply, Virginia women deserve nothing less. Thank you for considering my perspective on this important matter.

This is an important issue and one that was ably considered under the last administration. Please dont destroy these protections just to satisfy those who clammer for nothing more than the easy way out to terminate pregnancies. That is not a vote for the right to choose, its a vote for damaging and endangering pregnant women. Robert J. Smith