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(LifeSiteNews) — I am a registered nurse who has worked in a setting with pregnant women for over 16 years. It disturbs me to see and hear statements, certain media presentations and articles all claiming that state abortion bans prevent women from receiving certain types of medical care outside of abortion. I am writing to provide accurate information about what is legal versus illegal and to encourage medical and lay people alike to know the laws in their state regarding the difference between an elective abortion and providing gynecological care in other situations.

What the above-mentioned claims are referring to are D and C (Dilatation and Curettage) procedures and misoprostol (the second pill in the medication abortion procedure that evacuates the fetus from the uterus). The inferences or direct conclusions they are making are that abortion should not be banned so that women can receive the medical care they need.

These claims have all failed to mention some important information.

First of all, state abortion restrictions make it illegal to have an elective or induced abortion. This is the intentional removal of a living fetus (pre-born baby with a confirmed heartbeat) from a woman’s pregnant uterus by either a D and C or by the medications mifepristone and misoprostol, which are used in the “abortion pill” procedure. It is not, however, illegal to have these same procedures or medications in other types of medical situations where they are needed.

A D and C is a surgery in which certain medical instruments are inserted into the uterus in order to remove the contents. D and C procedures, misoprostol, and other gynecological treatments are used in many other instances that have nothing to do with an elective abortion and are not illegal in states with abortion restrictions. They are listed below:

  • Miscarriage (also called ‘spontaneous abortion’): baby’s heartbeat has stopped due to natural causes; the fetus is in the womb but is not alive and will either pass naturally or with the assistance of a medication (e.g. misoprostol) or a D and C procedure.
  • Ectopic pregnancy: the [embryo and/or sac] has formed outside the uterus and needs to be removed.
  • Retained placenta after delivery of a baby: this condition causes heavy bleeding or hemorrhaging and it is often medically necessary to do a D and C to remove the placental parts causing the bleeding after the baby is born.
  • Other conditions such as tumors, polyps or fibroids that need to be removed from the uterus.

The claims I am referring to state that women cannot receive D and C procedures and/or misoprostol for these other conditions in states with abortion restrictions. This is absolutely false! In all of the other situations there is not a living fetus being electively removed from the womb. There is nothing in the abortion laws that says a woman cannot receive these other gynecological treatments; in fact, many of them specifically list these exceptions.

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Those claims are a huge and gross misrepresentation of what the law says and tries to accomplish. They scare women and may even confuse medical personnel if they have not acquainted themselves with the wording in the abortion laws of their state. These faulty claims are not medically or legally accurate and do a disservice to women and couples facing these other types of medical situations. They do a disservice to the OB/GYN medical personnel who, listening to the claims, may become fearful of providing necessary treatments. Their claims may also influence voters to vote pro-abortion or pro-choice based on information that is inaccurate. This would be very unfortunate if someone’s conscience or faith would otherwise tell them to vote pro-life.

Please do what you can to refute the incorrect and faulty information, and to provide information that is educated and accurate.

Mary Bruinsma, RN, BSN

South Bend, IN

READ: Judge strikes down Ohio waiting period, informed consent, citing abortion amendment

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