Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Health:

I am writing to urge you to repeal the permanent regulations placed on Virginia Women's Healthcare clinics offering first-trimester abortion that became final in June 2013.  These regulations overly burdensome, aimed at forcing long standing healthcare centers to close, without any justification of medical necessity.  In fact, when these regulations were first proposed in 2012, a large group of Virginian physicians publicly criticized them as being an unnecessary barrier to women's healthcare.  The Virginia chapter of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, which is a leading professional organization of Virginia OB/GYN, even posted public comment that these regulations were "unnecesary...architectural restrictions that do nothing to enhance patient safety."  Given the strong opposition by leading medical organizations in the Commonwealth, it is clear that these regulations are overly burdensome and only serve to hinder a woman's access to obtaining a first-trimester abortion--which is a clear Constitutional right.

I urge you to repeal these regulations that threaten the health of thousands of Virginian women as soon as possible so that these vital healthcare centers can continue to operate in the Commonwealth.

Sincerely,

Maggie Davis, JD, MA

Virgina Young Democrats Health Policy Caucus Chair

Arlington, Virginia