Politicians in Arizona have imposed their religious beliefs on women with a bill that has no scientific support. As Courthouse News reports:
Senate Bill 1318 – sponsored by state Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix – requires that a woman who seeks an abortion must be told by a medical professional within 24 hours of the procedure that “it may be possible to reverse the effects of a medication abortion if the woman changes her mind, but that time is of the essence.”
Dr. Ilana Addis, chairwoman of the Arizona Section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, testified against the in the Senate. She said there is no evidence to support the claim that a medication abortion could be reversed.
“We like to practice medicine that is evidenced-based, and unfortunately the protocol that has been suggested for reversing a medication abortion has no evidence to support it,” Addis said.
Read more on Courthouse News. There are other troubling, science-free, provisions in the bill, too.
Laws that impose duties on healthcare professionals to lie to patients or pressure them because of legislators’ religious beliefs are harmful to the patient and harmful to healthcare in general. I hope in that situation, I would refuse to provide that statement to patients. I wonder how many physicians will tell patients something like, “I am required by law to tell you that…..” (Wink, wink).