The regulations will increase the financial hurdles to health care for patients, with no proven medical benefit to patients. Women need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less. If regulations placed on women's health centers are based upon evidence-based medical practices that advance the public health, then women in the Commonwealth will be able to maintain access to vital health care from trusted medical providers.

The high standard of care provided by women's health centers is proven by their impressive safety record. Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Overregulation will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

It is my hope that the regulations will be amended to be based purely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

The proprosed regulations place an undue burden on women and would cause significantly more health issues than they would prevent.  Already struggling rural and poor women may be forced to forgo vital healthcare because they have lost access to affordable and convenient health services. 

These regulations are in no way supported by medical considerations, only party politics.  It is absurd to  hold clinics that only do outpatient procedures and simple tests to the same standards as hospitals.  Abortions, when performed by licensed professionals, rarely have complications and do not require excessive regulations.  Such severe restrictions will likely result in injuries or deaths caused by botched illegal procedures.  

I hope you choose to trust women and let policy be based on science.

I am writing to express my objection to the proposed changes in regulations for women's health centers. A first-trimester abortion is an extremely safe procedure in both relative and absolute terms. It is subject to a litany of regulations already, and clinics follow a high standard of care.

These new regulations have nothing to do with making abortion safer and everything to do with undermining women's access to it. This will disproportionately affect rural, young, and low-income women, many of whom are immigrants and/or minorities. 

It is my hope that these regulations will be amended to be based purely on scientific evidence, and not undermine women's access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care.

As a member of an American medical association, I understand evidence-based medical decisions.  These regulations are contrary to good medical care and provide no additional benefit to either doctors or patients.

I myself have experienced outpatient care for non-abortion procedures and know that they can be unsafe or risky.  Yet these regulations concern only 1 procedure, which is known to be opposed by the ruling political party for primarily religious reasons.  This is not reason enough to change proven safe procedures and makes a mockery of our Constitution and rule of law.

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

I am writing to urge the Department of Health to amend its regulations.  These regulations will cut down on access to medically safe abortions and thus worsen the health care for women in Virginia.  They have no basis in specific heath concerns.  They only arise from anti-abortion ideology and right-wing extremists who seek to control others' lives.  This is an illegitimate use of public authority.

I am writing to oppose changes to thr rules for the licensing of abortion facilities.

I have not seen any information showing that there is a need for these changes.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.

Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.

Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

We don't need more regulations on abortion, especially when it reduces needed health care for women and children.

Please, as an active constituent of the state of Virginia, and as a woman, I beg the board to REPEAL the proposed regulations that so disproportionately affect the ability of minority women to the safe healthcare and freedom of choice that as Americans, we ALL deserve. 

Government's over reach into the area of women's health is wrong.  Decisions to protect women's health should be between a woman and her doctor.  Government is better suited to promoting public health through its support of firefighters and police.

Dear Committee members,

As you discuss and consider the new regulations, I ask that you first put science, medicine and reason ahead of partisan politics. More importantly, put the rights of the individual to choose the course they wish to pursue when it comes to private medical issues ahead of government interference..We hear so much rhetoric about individual freedom and the right to choose from both political parties, however, this legislation as it is proposed is government intervention at its worst when the legislature become the instrument of meddlesome efforts to limit rights and freedoms. How does one champion freedom and liberty by denying women access to health care priorities that they choose to have for themselves. Put your faith in women to make the right choices for themselves over their health care the same as the nation did when acknowledging that women had the right to participate in the political process and vote nearly a century ago. The 235 year history of this republic has been about granting and expanding  rights and freedoms to citizens. It has been a long process by which many groups of citizens previously denied rights and freedom have through bold legislative actions overcome the denial of such freedoms. Accepting and passing regulations that reverse this process risks putting Virginia on the wrong side of history. After 235 years of struggling for the vote, freedom and liberty, women, minorities and low income citizens should not be so easily discredited in the name of democracy by an appeal to misplaced moral sensibilities.

Thanks for considering this view.

Martin Tillett

2410 Fairview Drive

Alexandria, VA 22306

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.
•  

Virginians are alarmed about these regulations.  Any Virginia law must ensure the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventive reproductive health care throughout Virginia.  At the very least, these regulations must be amended to protect our reproductive freedom.

The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.

Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.

Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

The permanent regulations must protect Virginians' reproductive freedom.  Please amend them to ensure that this happens.

Thank you.

nothing  the gop does surprises me any more when it comes to hypocracy but rand paul being detained at the airport because he finds the tsa patdown too invasive  is off the charts funny-good luck senator !                       sincerely. kathy bazzle                                                                                            Type over this tjzext and enter your comments here. You are limited to approximately 3000 words.

Please consider the following facts in making your decision regarding abortion facility regulations:

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Blessings,Helen Sue Walker

We live in a time when access to low cost health care is critical.  Therefore, we should not be limiting that access.

That, however, is what the proposed permanent regulations on abortion facilites would do.  I therefore strongly encourage you to amend them for the following reasons:

+ They are overly budensome and unnecessary--if they were in fact necessary, why are they not applied to all outpatient facilities for all procedures?

+ They are potentially discriminatory as they apply only to facilites that serve women.

+ They add costs to a specific medical treatment--we do not need costs added to any medical treatment unless they are absolutely necessary.  These regulations are not necessary.

+ I am old enough to remember what happened when women did not have access to safe, legal abortions.  They happened anyway--but in unsafe, illegal ways.  Ways that killed/maimed women. 

+ So--these regualations would add unneeded costs to medical treatments, would reduce access to safe, legal abortions--thus encouraging unsafe, illegal abortions, and would thereby have the state interferring with a woman's right to manage her own body.  They are unnecessary and unwanted. 

 amend the proposed permanent regulations to ensure the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventive reproductive health care throughout Virginia.

I strongly urge the Board to  amend the proposed permanent regulations to ensure the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventive reproductive health care throughout Virginia.

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

I urge the Board of Health to ensure the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventive reproductive health care throughout Virginia. Safe, legal abortions are the least awful of a set of sad alternatives, and should not be abolished or hindered.

Dear Board of Health Members:

   Please take seriously the talking points below.  Although I am unable to attend the January 27th meeting, I wish my voice to be heard as a citizen of Virginia.  Essentail health care is so very important today, and decisions about my own body and its reproductive path should be mine.

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary. They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less. The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Cordially, Patricia B. Maloney

The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Please do not allow Virgina to return to the Dark Ages of women's health. Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less. The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, women..

Let us not go backwards - let us not become women haters.

These restrictions will have no effect on "safety." If they were actually intended to make clinics safer, they would be applied to every outpatient medical clinic in the state. They are not; therefore, they unfairly target a safe, legal medical procedure and limit women's access to health care.

Anyone who voted for these damaging regulations will not get my vote.

Government regulations about abortion and women's health should be based solely on medical practice and nothing else, especially religion.  To do otherwise takes away the inherent rights of women to care for themselves and is not acceptable.   Women's health care, including abortion, should be monitored by an impartial medical system.

It seems pretty clear that the purpose of these burdensome regulations is to shut down and make access to safe abortions more difficult, especially for poor people and those who live where access to other facilities is limited.

But the regulations do more than that. They are unnecessary, having no proven medical benefit, especially not making abortions safer (they are already among the safest of procedures, even in the subject facilities) and will limit access to other health care.

Those facilities that remain open, meeting these requirements, will have to pass on the expenses of doing so to their clients. Young, low-income or uninsured women need more, not less health care.

Amnesty International has documented that maternal mortality is higher in the United States than in all but one other developed country. Making access to health care for all such women more difficult, not only might reduce access to abortion but would also probaly make our maternal mortality rates even worse. How could anyone favor that side effect?

Access to other kinds of health care for women, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment will be reduced.

I believe the overall quality of health care in Virginia will be harmed by the proposed regulations and that, instead, the regulations should be based only on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

I am writing as a person of faith (United Methodist) and a citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  I urge you to make and keep access to women's reproductive healthcare easy, affordable, and based on science, not emotion.  While I am personally opposed to abortion on demand, I believe it is a woman's right to make that choice for herself.  I am concerned that restricting abortion access will also restrict access to other needed healthcare.  This is something which would create a less healthy population---not a healthier one.  Please make access to women's reproductive healthcare open, unrestricted, affordable, and fully funded.

Given the fact that these regulations target women's health centers specifically and do not affect other, similar outpatient medical facilities, it is clear that the intent is not women's safety.  The real intent is to restrict women's access by creating regulations so onerous that existing facilities have to choose to either expend a large amount of money to remodel and pass an increase in the cost of services onto women who can ill afford it, reduce the number of first trimester abortions performed, or close altogether.

Women's health centers provide a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.  The women who will be most impacted by a reduction in access are young, uninsured and low-income. Because only 14% of the counties in Virginia currently have abortion providers, these regulations may reduce it further.  This is discriminatory and dangerous.

These are medically inappropriate regulations.  They do not reflect sound science, do not protect patient interests, and should be amended.

Get out of the private lives of women, government.  If you don't want to have an abortion - then,

don't have one.  What other people do is none of your business.

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Do not further restrict women's right to choose an abortion. 

This is a personal and legal matter and should not be based on the ideology and religious views of "white men" in the Virginia legislature.  A woman should be allow to elect an abortion if she so desires.

It is amazing that the "in power" Republican Party advocates so call limited governement and supposedly believes in keeping government out of individual's lives, yet they want to continue to add restrictions which expand govenment and keep it in the lives of individuals.

Government officials do not have the right to inflict their personal views on Virginia women.  Virginia women should be free to make their own, individual decisions concerning their reproductive rights.

The regulations threaten the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortion and preventive reproductive health care in multiple locations throughout the state.

Extensive, burdensome requirements for clinic buildings that are unrelated to the services health centers provide and have no proven medical benefit will reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.

The regulations will increase the financial hurdles to health care for patients, with no proven medical benefit to patients. Women need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.

If regulations placed on women's health centers are based upon evidence-based medical practices that advance the public health, then women in the Commonwealth will be able to maintain access to vital health care from trusted medical providers.

Medically inappropriate and unnecessarily burdensome regulations would restrict access to essential health care services for the women of Virginia and further marginalize young, low-income, uninsured and minority women by decreasing their health care options.

The high standard of care provided by women's health centers is proven by their impressive safety record. Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Overregulation will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

It is my hope that the regulations will be amended to be based purely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

I am writing to oppose The Department of Health's proposed permanent regulations. The regulations will increase the financial hurdles to health care for patients, with no proven medical benefit to patients. Women need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less. If regulations placed on women's health centers are based upon evidence-based medical practices that advance the public health, then women in the Commonwealth will be able to maintain access to vital health care from trusted medical providers. Medically inappropriate and unnecessarily burdensome regulations would restrict access to essential health care services for the women of Virginia and further marginalize young, low-income, uninsured and minority women by decreasing their health care options.

The high standard of care provided by women's health centers is proven by their impressive safety record. Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Overregulation will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

We cannot allow these dangerous, temporary regulations to be made permanent. It is my hope that the regulations will be amended to be based purely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

These regulations are not necessary to protect womens' health or safety.  Other much more dangerous procedures than a first trimester abortion are performed in clinics and doctors offices on an outpatient basis with far fewer restrictions including oral surgery, cosmetic surgery and  colonoscopies.  It is probably more risky to get a tattoo than to take (e.g., the morning after pill) but we do not require tattoos to be done in a hospital type setting. The intent of these regulations is to impose someone else's ideological and religous beliefs on women.  The state should not dictate to a woman what she can or cannot do regarding her reproductive choices.  These regulations are burdensome and punitive.  The women of Va. are capable of making their own medical choices!

I stand to protect women's rights. Many things bother me about the regulations impossed recently, and i do not want to see them become permanent. Extensive, burdensome requirements for clinic buildings that are unrelated to the services health centers provide, and have no proven medical benefit, will reduce or eliminate patient access to health care. This is one of the regulations that bothers me the most, because it does nothing to protect or help women. It simply is meant to make it impossible for clinics to comply so they cannot offer certain services. Women deserve quality and unbiased health care services.

Prey tell---who is going to pay and care for all these unwanted children?  I know I won't personnally take them.  Will you?

It is my hope that the regulations will be amended to be based purely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.
 

Please do not close down Women's Health Centers which would restrict women's right to choose.  Thank you for considering my views in your decision. Sincerely, Catherine Hays

To the Board: 

The following points should be considered regarding the proposed regulations for abortion procedures in the first trimester for clinical work in the Commonwealth:

 

 

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary. They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.


• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less. The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.


• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.


• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

Respectfully,

Matthew John Hammett

Reston, VA 20191

Northern Virginia Reproductive Association (NVRA)*

*-NVRA is an all voluntary association of Grassroots citizens that works to maintain clinically valid and sensible reproductive health alternatives are available to citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  We are a harm reduction organization and work to promote sensible policies and health options for all citizens.

The proposed regulations affecting abortion care providers are unduly burdensome.  These are politically-motivated regulations aimed at restricting access to abortion, rather than improving women's health care.  The effect of the law is to make access to not only reproductive health care, but also basic health screenings, more difficult for women, particularly low-income populations.

In regard to womens reproductive health.  I respect every woman's right to make a choice.  To do that,  she must be allowed alternative medically protected options.

Daniel.M.Ellis

The emergency regulations on abortion clinics restrict access to necessary, legal medical care. As such, they are unacceptable.  As the Board of Health crafts permanent regulations, please use evidence on medical necessity and safety and not a contentious political agenda as the basis for regulation.  Please consider how regulations affect access to care and the realization of Court-confirmed rights.  Please assess the evidence on the general safety of abortion procedures and bring regulations on abortion clinics in line with those for the provision of other office-based surgical and medical procedures.  My and my daughter's health and dignity--and that of countless other women--depend on it.

As a biologist I cannot see how these regulations are necessary. They seem to be driven by a desire to eliminate abortion- a service which should be available to women who want it. Abortions do not require hospital type of service to be successfully performed.

Please don't set us back decades by taking away women's rights!  It is a dangerous game that politicians play in order to appease the religioius right, and lives will be put in danger. This is too important to play games with in order to win votes from the right.

• The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary. They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.
• Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less. The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.
• Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.
• The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

I can not believe that now and here, 2012 in the United States, that the government is still trying to take away and limit women's rights. It would only lead to more problems if there regulations were made permanent. It surprises me that they were made in the first place with our current need for afforable health care especially for women.

The Religious Righteous have tried every maneuver, legal and otherwise, to make all citizens abide by their own religious conclusions regarding the abortion issue.  They seek to make abortions either difficult or, better, impossible, especially for those whose financial category makes them at risk for affording the procedure.  Legislators (and legislative support groups, such as yours) should recognize that the vast majority of supporters of anti-abortion efforts are energized by religious concerns.  Thus, the push for such regulations as those proposed by the subject laws are suspect as originating from a religious lobby which supports their own dogmatic doctrines concerning abortions (and many other issues, as well).

The separation of religion and government, no matter how insignificant the proposal otherwise, is too good a principle to be surrendered.    

I request that the permanent regulations for licensing abortion facilities be amended.

The proposed regulations are overly burdensome and unnecessary.  They have no proven medical benefit and will only serve to reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.

Women in Virginia need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  The regulations will increase the financial burden on patients and decrease patients' health care options thereby marginalizing young, low-income, and uninsured women.

Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. Instead of improving safety, these regulations will limit access to a wide range of preventive reproductive health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life-saving cancer screenings, family planning, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

The regulations should be based solely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to essential health care.

I hope that the Board of Health will take regulatory action only in order to promote health and safety, and will not let its policies be used for political maneuvering.

• As a new resident of Virginia, I was appalled to hear of the regulations that are being proposed as they are overly burdensome and have no proven medical benefit. They will only serve to reduce a woman's access to reproductive care. It is unfathomable in this day and age that Virginia would want to place burdens on medical facilities that are affordable and perform such needed services for women.

The regulations willonly serve as additional financial hurdles to health care for women patients, with no proven medical benefit to patients. Women need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.

The regulations placed on women's health centers should be based on evidence-based medical practices that advance the Public Health so that women in the Commonwealth can maintain access to vital health care from trusted medical providers.

Medically inappropriate and unnecessarily burdensome regulations will not advance the purpose of public health. They would restrict access to essential health care services for the women of Virginia and further marginalize young, low-income, uninsured and minority women by decreasing their health care options.

Beverly Waddell

 

The proposed limitations to safe reroductive rights care and overly burdensome, provide no value whatsoever except to restrict a woman's right under Roe v Wade to safe abortion.