As a man, I do not fully understand in its entirety the complexity of women's reproductive health and its relationship to considering an abortion.  However, I do understand the necessity of continuing a woman's right to maintain her reproductive heatlh, have an abortion, in a free and open society that does not overly burden them with governmental regulations.  There was nothing wrong with Virginia's previous Abortion clinic regulations; these regulations have served the Commonwealth's interests well in protecting the health of women for years without closing down any of our existing clinics.

Therefore, why are new Abortion clinic regulations needed now, which would close down a number of existing clinics?  They are simply not.  In the event the Board of Health does not repeal these new regulations, I implore Board members to return to bteir original decision of exempting current clinics from them, and mandating new Abortion clinics meet such requirements.

If these regulations, and the decision for their implementation, remain as is I fear that the Commonwealth will become like a number of other states within the Union, which disempower women from making basic health choices and makes access to Abortion clinics virtually impossible, if not extremely difficult.  Liberty and Democracy in America were both born in the Commonwealth of Virginia; Virginia should lead other states in increasing Liberty for all Virginians and expanding the Democratic franchise in our Commonwealth, not stifling both.