Dr. Beverly Gray
Dr. Jonas Swartz
April 23, 2023
That’s great.
Our state motto – “to be rather than to seem” – should encapsulate the values of North Carolinians. We must stand for truth, honesty and transparency. But the anti-abortion legislation recently referenced by House Speaker Tim Moore aims to do the opposite and would put women at risk.
Speaker Moore told the media that despite outcry from the medical community about the ban’s effects on our state’s women and families, Republicans have reached an agreement about a 12-week abortion ban. If enacted, such a law would destroy a woman’s ability to exercise reproductive autonomy and control her health care.
We are OB-GYN physicians providing comprehensive obstetrics and gynecological care. We see patients during some of their happiest days and some of their saddest days. We provide both abortion care because we trust our patients to make the best decisions for their bodies and their families. We also know and love people who have had abortions. We’ve seen that the care we provide saves lives and gives people their lives back.
Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health US Supreme Court decision, we have also seen how difficult it is for patients in neighboring states to access basic healthcare. We are also witnessing a legal tussle over access to mifepristone, the most common abortion drug, despite decades of safe, effective use.
Now in many states, patients seeking to terminate an unwanted pregnancy in six weeks – a five-minute clinic procedure – must take several days off from work, care for their children, travel to another state, And must find a place to live, not to mention having the means to cover the cost. In just six months after Dobbs, more than 30,000 women were forced to continue with their pregnancies because of these obstacles.
If this anti-abortion effort becomes law in North Carolina, the consequences will be dire for both individual patients and our state’s public health.
Abortion is incredibly safe. These laws hinder our ability to provide evidence-based, safe care. Our country is facing a maternal mortality crisis, and states with abortion bans have a maternal mortality rate three times higher than states that do.
Abortion care is part of comprehensive health care, and restricting access will mean more women will die in our state. There are extreme health disparities in maternal mortality, meaning that the burden of death and injury from pregnancy falls disproportionately on people of color and those living in poverty. These are the same people anti-abortion legislators are punishing by cutting off access to life-saving care.
Who should you trust on this issue? The NC Medical Society, the NC Obstetrics and Gynecological Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all oppose abortion restrictions. Count on the 1,300 NC medical professionals who co-signed a letter supporting abortion access in our state. They understand that access to care saves lives.
If you don’t trust doctors, trust your fellow North Carolinians – 57% of us either want to keep the laws as they are in North Carolina or expand access. For some, abortion has not been a discussion at the dinner table. But now is the time to bring it to churches, barbecues, and basketball games with your friends.
This potential legislation is detrimental to the health and well-being of women, so we strongly oppose it.
Although claiming to be in the best interest of the health of North Carolinians, it will prove to be harmful to the very citizens it aims to help. Women should have the right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health and have access to essential health services.
This is our opportunity to be a beacon of truth, honesty and health rather than appearances. We must stand up and oppose laws that will harm the families in our state. Call your MLA today. Tell them why you support access to reproductive health care and oppose these dangerous abortion restrictions.
Dr. Beverly Gray and Jonas Swartz are associate and assistant professors, respectively, of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University.
Dr. Jonas Swartz
April 23, 2023
That’s great.
Our state motto – “to be rather than to seem” – should encapsulate the values of North Carolinians. We must stand for truth, honesty and transparency. But the anti-abortion legislation recently referenced by House Speaker Tim Moore aims to do the opposite and would put women at risk.
Speaker Moore told the media that despite outcry from the medical community about the ban’s effects on our state’s women and families, Republicans have reached an agreement about a 12-week abortion ban. If enacted, such a law would destroy a woman’s ability to exercise reproductive autonomy and control her health care.
We are OB-GYN physicians providing comprehensive obstetrics and gynecological care. We see patients during some of their happiest days and some of their saddest days. We provide both abortion care because we trust our patients to make the best decisions for their bodies and their families. We also know and love people who have had abortions. We’ve seen that the care we provide saves lives and gives people their lives back.
Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health US Supreme Court decision, we have also seen how difficult it is for patients in neighboring states to access basic healthcare. We are also witnessing a legal tussle over access to mifepristone, the most common abortion drug, despite decades of safe, effective use.
Now in many states, patients seeking to terminate an unwanted pregnancy in six weeks – a five-minute clinic procedure – must take several days off from work, care for their children, travel to another state, And must find a place to live, not to mention having the means to cover the cost. In just six months after Dobbs, more than 30,000 women were forced to continue with their pregnancies because of these obstacles.
If this anti-abortion effort becomes law in North Carolina, the consequences will be dire for both individual patients and our state’s public health.
Abortion is incredibly safe. These laws hinder our ability to provide evidence-based, safe care. Our country is facing a maternal mortality crisis, and states with abortion bans have a maternal mortality rate three times higher than states that do.
Abortion care is part of comprehensive health care, and restricting access will mean more women will die in our state. There are extreme health disparities in maternal mortality, meaning that the burden of death and injury from pregnancy falls disproportionately on people of color and those living in poverty. These are the same people anti-abortion legislators are punishing by cutting off access to life-saving care.
Who should you trust on this issue? The NC Medical Society, the NC Obstetrics and Gynecological Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all oppose abortion restrictions. Count on the 1,300 NC medical professionals who co-signed a letter supporting abortion access in our state. They understand that access to care saves lives.
If you don’t trust doctors, trust your fellow North Carolinians – 57% of us either want to keep the laws as they are in North Carolina or expand access. For some, abortion has not been a discussion at the dinner table. But now is the time to bring it to churches, barbecues, and basketball games with your friends.
This potential legislation is detrimental to the health and well-being of women, so we strongly oppose it.
Although claiming to be in the best interest of the health of North Carolinians, it will prove to be harmful to the very citizens it aims to help. Women should have the right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health and have access to essential health services.
This is our opportunity to be a beacon of truth, honesty and health rather than appearances. We must stand up and oppose laws that will harm the families in our state. Call your MLA today. Tell them why you support access to reproductive health care and oppose these dangerous abortion restrictions.
Dr. Beverly Gray and Jonas Swartz are associate and assistant professors, respectively, of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University.
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