Stop the Lies. Stop the Bans.

Planned Parenthood is opposed to House Bills 4320 and 4321. The lies must stop. We must call these bills what they are — nothing more than an orchestrated national strategy by anti-abortion politicians to restrict abortion.

Since 2010, anti-abortion politicians nationwide have quietly passed more than 400 medically unnecessary and politically-motivated restrictions, creating a web of barriers that push safe and affordable abortion care out of reach. In 2019 alone, more than 250 bills restricting abortion have been filed in 41 states. Nearly half of those bills are aimed at banning abortion in some or all circumstances. These nationwide bans refer to procedures that do not exist, that violate the medical standard of care, and use inflammatory rhetoric to mislead people about what actually happens.

Unfortunately, even these bills’ committee assignment is a clear indication of how little women’s health is respected. Have we considered why a medical procedure ban was not referred to a health policy committee? Are there other medical procedures for which you would feel it appropriate for Representative Hornberger and Right to Life to craft criminal punishments?

You must ask yourself — who do you trust?

Is it ideologues from Right to Life and other organizations who have made it crystal clear that their only goal is to criminalize abortion? Those that use graphic, non-medical terminology and plastic dolls to elicit emotional responses and yet have absolutely zero medical background.

Or will you trust the doctors and medical professionals who are saying loud and clear that abortion is health care, and they must be allowed to do their jobs? The doctors are making it very clear—if politicians interfere with their jobs, women’s health is at stake. They implore our elected officials not to force them to make a decision that violates their medical judgement or risk being sent to prison.

The truth is a woman’s health, not politics, should guide important medical decisions at every point in pregnancy. But unfortunately what is being proposed blocks women from getting the care they need and that their doctors recommend.

Lawmakers must start respecting women, their families, their doctors and the truth when it comes to women’s reproductive health care.

Amanda West

Government Relations Director

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan

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Tell the elected officials considering these bills that they're not you're doctor and they should not be intervening in your medical care. Leave medical decisions to doctors and their patients.

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