I strongly oppose the proposed regulations regarding women's health clinics.  These regulations threaten the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortion and preventive reproductive health care in multiple locations throughout the state.  They require extensive, burdensome requirements for clinic buildings that are unrelated to the services these health centers provide.  In addition, the regulations have no proven medical benefit and will reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.

These regulations will increase the financial hurdles to health care for patients, also with no proven medical benefit to said patients. Women need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.  Medically inappropriate and unnecessarily burdensome regulations will 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 these regulations will be amended to be based purely on medicine and science and will not impede women's access to essential health care.