On Monday April 11, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will vote on House Bill 1948, which is another piece of anti-abortion legislation fast-tracked for passage without a public hearing by politicians deliberately intent on further limiting access to needed abortion care in Pennsylvania. Components of the bill include a 20-week abortion ban and a ban on one of the safest and medically-proven second-trimester abortion procedures available to doctors in Pennsylvania. This is a very dangerous piece of legislation, and it is critical that PA residents speak out about it to lawmakers, and quickly.
Throughout her pregnancy, a woman must be able to make her own decisions with the advice of the health care professionals she trusts – without interference from politicians. As dedicated abortion providers and patient advocates, we know first-hand the obstacles already facing a woman seeking abortion care. Many things stand in her way, from bans on insurance coverage, not being able to afford it, not being able to find a doctor nearby, waiting periods, and other barriers put in place by politicians. We hear story after story about the hardships women face when trying to obtain an abortion.
We cannot know all of the personal and medical circumstances behind a woman’s personal decision to have an abortion. Every person’s situation is different and many times there are no simple answers. We do know that women who have abortions are good, moral, and responsible human beings worthy of dignity and respect. We can all agree that a woman’s health, not politics, should drive important medical decisions at every point in her pregnancy.
How You Can Help:
Please contact your Pennsylvania legislator as soon as you can and ask him or her to vote NO on HB 1948. You can easily find your legislator here. Share personal stories if you have them – they make a difference.
Sign AccessMatters’ petition to stop the PA Abortion ban here.
Please spread the word! Share this story with your social networks.
For More Information:
The Women’s Law Project has a post about 10 facts you should know about this bill. You can access it here.
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