Why We Believe in the Right of Women to Make Their Own Reproductive Health Decisions

The right of women to make informed decisions regarding their reproductive health choices is under significant threat. This blog entry is posted to advocate for retention of these rights from both a nursing and citizen’s perspective. 

As CITIZENS, we believe that women have the right to determine the course of their lives in all aspects, as do men.  Decisions regarding the most intimate, personal, life changing and dangerous aspects of women’s health and for which women will personally bear lifetime accountability, should be made by the individual, with the support of their faith, family, and physicians. We do not support government interference in the form of abortion restrictions that override the expertise and clinically substantiated standards of care for healthcare treatment.

As NURSES, we are deeply committed to the health and well-being of our patients, and we strongly oppose any ban that endangers people's health and lives. We write this as members of AWARE, a coalition of nurses advocating for women’s healthcare.

• As nurses, we believe that all Americans should have access to the full spectrum of healthcare. However, abortion bans, which disregard the numerous clinical complications of pregnancy,  deny women comprehensive reproductive medical care for: fertility treatment, pregnancy, inevitable miscarriage (the cervix begins to dilate and bleeding increases), incomplete miscarriage (some pregnancy tissue is passed but some remains in the uterus), complete miscarriage (all pregnancy tissue is passed from the uterus), and missed miscarriage (the fetus has died but has not been expelled from the uterus), tubal pregnancy,  a fetus unable to live outside the womb due to severe birth defects, underdeveloped organs, or genetic abnormalities. 

• As nurses, we believe that doctors should have the freedom to apply their medical expertise when advising patients for or against abortion. Under abortion bans, these decisions are instead made by legislators who lack medical expertise and do not understand the unique and varied circumstances of individual patients.

  
  

• As nurses, we believe that healthcare should be delivered in safe, secure environments. Abortion bans force women seeking abortions, whether for personal or medical reasons, to flee the state or resort to illegal and unsafe conditions. Physicians withhold safe treatment under the threat of potential imprisonment, fines exceeding $2,500, and the possibility of having their medical licenses restricted, revoked, or suspended.

  
  

• As nurses, We believe that laws should allow for reasonable limits on abortion after fetal viability, with protections and regulations in place to ensure the health and safety of patients.