Irregardless of political affiliations or personal beliefs, our first priority should be for the health and safety of the women of Virginia which these regulations are designed to protect.  Women seeking assistance from any reproductive health center are entitled to the same standards of health care that are mandated for all other health care facilities across the state.  As a Registered Nurse with 20 years of experience I have worked across the Commonwealth from the Blue Ridge to Piedmont to Tidewater and I have seen firsthand the importance  of established standards of care. Can you imagine the hue and cry across the state if all regulations and safety inspections were suddenly discontinued for all health care facilities in Virginia? Why should the women of Virgina seeking care from a reproductive health clinic be forced to settle for a lower, and often times dangerous,  standard of care?

Although I am personally opposed to abortion,  I realize that it is a legal procedure in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Therefore, it is imperative that we ensure that ALL citizens can expect the same high , SAFE standards of care. Subjecting women to lower standards of care ( less stringent emergency equipment and procedures, unclean facilities and instruments, etc.) negates all of the rights women have gained over the last century.