Susan Cohen: More abortion agony from legislature

Regarding the April 2 Under the Dome article “Abortion restrictions proposed in House”: What would someone say to some of my former patients about why it is necessary or in their best interests to further limit their access to a safe, affordable abortion?

What would someone say to the teenager who was repeatedly molested by her grandfather? To the woman who just found out the baby she was carrying was missing part of his brain? To the woman who is hemorrhaging (as a result of a spontaneous abortion), but the emergency room staff members have insufficient training and/or experience to manage it because their medical education surrounding these matters was limited or nonexistent? How about the woman who died as a result of an illegal abortion?

Abortion is never a good thing, but in many situations it is a necessary choice. It is a choice under sad or traumatic circumstances. What purpose does it serve to further the agony involved in making that choice?

No one asks the government to be involved in why or how the pregnancy occurred in the first place. Doesn’t the legislature have enough to do without coming into our bedrooms or in between health care providers and their patients?

This story was originally published April 5, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Susan Cohen: More abortion agony from legislature."