Abortion bans are a direct attack on the patient-physician relationship. Medical decisions should be made between doctors and patients. Not politicians and churches.
Doctors Not Doctrine
Religious doctrine drove abortion bans, not evidence based medical information.
Following the US Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v Jackson, which overturned Roe v Wade, eliminating federal protections for abortion care, 75 medical societies including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, American Association of Family Planning and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine issued a joint statement affirming abortion as essential healthcare. These leading health expert organizations denounced the Supreme Court's ruling as a direct threat to people's health and well being and the provision of evidence- based, patient centered-care in the United States.
Abortion bans are a direct blow to bodily autonomy, reproductive health, privacy, patient safety, religious liberty and health equity in the United States. Patients have a right to control their own body and to make meaningful medical choices for their health and futures.
“The restrictions put forth are not based on science or medicine; they allow unrelated third parties to make decisions that rightfully and ethically should be made only by individuals and their physicians. ACOG condemns this devastating decision, which will allow state governments to prevent women from living with autonomy over their bodies and their decisions.”
— American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Abortion bans compromise care for us all, not just people with reproductive capacity.
Constant Ethical Dilemmas
Ectopic Pregnancy
Miscarriage Management
In Vitro Fertilization
Genetic Testing For Fetal Anomalies
Training In Reproductive Medicine
Increase In Maternal And Infant Mortality
Racial Inequities
Cancer Therapy
Ability to recruit and retain physicians in states with abortion restrictions. Many of the restrictive states have the highest maternal and infant mortality rates and the highest shortfall of ob/gyn and primary care physicians. The shortage of physicians will continue the downward spiral of inadequate or unavailable care in these states.
Medical treatment for people that need access to teratogenic medications, which cause congenital disorders. Teratogenic drugs are used for a variety of conditions such as autoimmune disorders, acne, bipolar disorder, seizures, skin lesions and rheumatoid arthritis. Dermatologists, rheumatologists and neurologists frequently prescribe teratogenic medications and access to these medications is essential for their patients. Prior to the abortion bans, patients who unintentionally become pregnant while taking a teratogenic drug could choose to have an abortion. In many states abortion is no longer accessible and treating patients with these conditions will be more complicated. Without these drugs, clinicians are left with fewer and less effective treatment options, which compromise the standard of care. In some states, pharmacists have refused to fill patient prescriptions for fear of running afoul of their states abortion bans and physicians may risk legal consequences if their patients become pregnant.
What is at risk?
Abortion bans contradict the recommendations of all major health expert associations and require physicians to provide patients with inaccurate information with no basis in medical science. These legislative requirements raise serious concerns about patient privacy, protecting the patient-physician relationship, maintaining the longstanding principles of medical ethics, and providing medically accurate health information to the public.
All major health expert organizations support access to abortion
These leading medical societies policies represent the education, training and experience of the vast majority of clinicians in the United States.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) the leading authority in women’s health, The American Medical Association (AMA), The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM).
While Kentucky voters showed their support for abortion access by voting NO on Amendment 2 in the November 2022 election, The Kentucky Supreme Court and Kentucky Legislature have yet to restore abortion access in the commonwealth.
Leading experts in healthcare, civil liberties, and religious freedom fields filed briefs in support of restoring access to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Our Voices Are Stronger Together
Doctors take an oath to do no harm.
erode trust at the heart of the sacred physician-patient relationship
undermine clinicians' ability to counsel patients honestly
contradict the recommendations of all major health expert organizations
require physicians to provide patients with inaccurate medical information with no basis in medical science
restrict the ability of clinicians to provide care solely by their best clinical judgment and evidence of effectiveness
Fearful of harsh penalties, clinicians may delay or even refuse to provide essential health services and intervene in dire circumstances
The principles of shared decision-making is founded on respect for peoples' expertise in their own bodies and lives and clinicians' expertise in science and medicine.. There is no room within the sanctuary of the patient-physician relationship for individual lawmakers who wish to impose their personal religious or ideological views on others.