I completely oppose the TRAP regulations. They  threaten the continued availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortion and preventive reproductive health care in multiple locations throughout Virgina -- they would return Virginia to the 19th century.  These regulations clearly are only trying to close the clinics -- it's ridiculous to force an abortion clinic to adhere to them when they are unrelated to the services health centers provide and have no proven medical benefit will reduce or eliminate patient access to health care.  Women need more access to affordable, high quality health care, not less.

Women with money will always be able to find a way to get an abortion -- medically inappropriate and unnecessarily burdensome regulations will restrict access to essential health care services for Virginia women and further marginalize young, low-income, and uninsured women by decreasing their health care options. It's not fair. Women who need an abortion will do what they need to get one -- and passig these TRAP laws will mean women who can't afford to go out of state will be relegated to the "coat hanger" days -- women in Virginia will die - just as they did before safe, legal access became federal law.

Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures -- everyone knows this. 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 Virginia women's access to essential health care.