Please maintain the essential health protections for women passed in these regulations.  Women need to be protected from clinics that cannot maintain proper health standards when women and childrens lives are at risk.  Removing these protections would result in the harm of more women and children.  These regulations are necessary for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare.

Prior to the implementation of regulations in 2012, the Virginia abortion industry had gone unregulated for too long. Department of Health inspections revealed widespread health and safety violations, including blood splattered exam tables and equipment, unsterilized equipment, poorly or untrained staff, violations of state parental consent laws, and the lack of reporting of possible cases of child sexual abuse, along with over 300 other violations. These violations reveal a serious need for regulations of these facilities in order to protect women who seek out abortions.

Recent information that has come to light about Virginia abortion center owner, Dr. Steven Brigham, exemplifies the need for regulations. Brigham's license to practice medicine has been revoked in five states because of his complete disregard for the safety of women. The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners revoked Brigham's license declaring, "Dr. Brigham's continued practice would present clear and imminent danger to the public health, safety, and welfare." Virginia inspections found gaping holes in the ceiling of his abortion center, unsterilized needles, outrageously high complication rates, and incomplete lifesaving equipment.  If an abortion doctor like Steven Brigham can continue to operate two abortion centers here in Virginia, it is clear that the regulations must remain in place to protect the women of Virginia from Brigham's harmful practices.

Other surgical centers have to comply with even more regulations, so it is ridiculous that abortion providers are complaining about these protections for women when women and children have actually died from abortion procedures while urgent care centers perform thousands of surgeries without loss of life.  It is certainly not an overly burdensome regulation when it comes to economic impact as other health care facilities that do not provide abortions are availalbe throughout the state. Abortion centers should be regulated even more carefully than medical facilities that are trying to prolong life and good health.  All medical facilities should have standards and regulations - there should be no exceptions just because a facility is for abortions.

Biology has proven that human life begins at conception, so these children should have protections against slaughter, The children should not face state approved silent mass murder. Science should not be ignored for financial or political gain.