In September of 2012, just prior to the resignation of Virginia Health Commissioner, Dr. Karen Remley, who resigned her position due to the intrusion of politics into women’s health care), a group of 177 doctors and medical experts from across the Commonwealth of Virginia organized and independently funded a public letter and Richmond Times-Dispatch advertisement that asserted, “We must not travel down a dangerous slippery slope where we allow political forces to dictate medical care.”  UniteWomen.org Virginia agrees with that statement 100%!

Restrictions that are designed to shut down health centers jeopardize women’s health by making it more difficult for women to access safe and legal abortions.  These centers also offer preventative health screenings.  The Board of Health needs to scrap the current regulations of women’s health centers and rewrite them in order to protect women’s health and preserve access to comprehensive reproductive care.  Of course all health professions should be regulated, but these restrictions are politically motivated and are not necessary for patients’ safety.  

Abortions are safer than colonoscopies, and both procedures are performed in similar outpatient clinics. Yet, instead of applying restrictions to clinics that perform both procedures, the TRAP laws only apply to facilities that provide abortions. The real motivation behind these laws has nothing do to with women’s health and everything to do with shutting down clinics and preventing women from getting safe and legal abortions.

Doctors, health care professionals, and a majority of Virginians oppose these regulations.  A 2013 survey showed that 58% of Virginians oppose these burdensome regulations of women’s health care centers.  Three of 21 women’s health centers in Virginia have already been forced to close, in part, or stop providing abortion services due to these burdensome and medically-unnecessary regulations. If the regulations remain unchanged additional health centers will close, cutting off women’s access to preventative and critical health care.

If the regulations are not repealedand rewritten, tens of thousands of Virginia women and families will lose access to critical medical care.  I trust that you will do what is right for the health of Virginia women, putting aside political ideology and focusing on access to important  health care services.

Sincerely,

Shannon E. Fisher

Board of Directors, UniteWomen.org