Physicians and State Legislators Condemn Harms of Abortion Bans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2024

Joint Statement from Jennifer Driver, Senior Director, Reproductive Rights,SiX Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council and Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO,Physicians for Reproductive Health on the preventable deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller and the harms of abortion bans.

"We, along with our more than 500 physician fellows and 670 legislators across the country, are saddened and dismayed by the tragic and preventable deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller. We mourn their loss and honor their lives.

No patient should live in fear of seeking care. We cannot allow this devastation to people and families to continue.

But we are also outraged by the callous policy choices that have, and continue to be made, by anti-abortion legislators that led to this outcome. These two women died unnecessarily. Their communities, the lives of their families, and all who loved them will forever be impacted by this tragedy. Make no mistake, their deaths are the direct result of the intentional chaos and confusion caused by anti-abortion lawmakers that have passed these and similar bans across the country. We are infuriated by their legislative interference and clear disregard for the impact of these draconian policies.

Let us be clear: this outcome was not unexpected. It was not a surprise. In fact, it was anticipated.

For decades, advocates have been sounding the alarm, pointing to the devastating consequences of abortion bans. They deny people access to time-sensitive, essential care and foster an environment of fear for doctors and patients alike. The responsibility for the death of these two women as a result of abortion bans lies with the anti-abortion state legislators. They cruelly passed these restrictions, under the guise of "protecting life," despite warnings from medical providers and impacted communities about the damage they would cause.

Abortion bans do nothing to improve patient safety. They do not protect the life, health, or well-being of pregnant people. Instead, they exacerbate the fear of criminalization and keep people from seeking or receiving the care they need. Thisoutcome is not unique to Georgia. This is a reality for all people living in all states that have passed draconian laws, with the impact falling hardest on people of color, immigrants, and those working to make ends meet. These communities will continue to feel the brunt of these restrictions and bans.

Health care providers must be able to treat their patients, without fear of jail time. Patients must be able to seek care without fear of being turned away or criminalized. Legislators should never determine the type of care a person receives. While the State Innovation Exchange Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council legislators have been on the frontlines working for laws that do just that, anti-abortion extremists have stood in their way. They have blocked measures to require emergency department care for pregnant people, enshrine rights to contraception, and constitutional protections for abortion care approved by their own constituents in statewide ballot initiatives. They have enacted legislation that strengthened protections for crisis pregnancy centers, limited or prohibited insurance coverage of abortion, criminalized medication abortion pills classifying them as a controlled substance, and added costly and burdensome barriers by requiring mandatory waiting periods. As a result, clinicians , such as the dedicated providers at Physicians for Reproductive Health, find themselves unable to administer the lifesaving care that they have been trained to provide.

No doctor should be faced with prosecution for providing care. No patient should live in fear of seeking care. We cannot allow this devastation to people and families to continue."

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