Does South Dakota want to be the next state where a pregnant woman dies during a miscarriage because she was denied emergency abortion care to save her life? My answer is definitely no. Our medical doctors should not be afraid to provide lifesaving care for fear of being criminalized due to the current abortion ban.
You and I have an opportunity to increase access to care for women and their families by voting yes on Amendment G.
As a retired health care provider, I am saddened, angered, and frustrated to see the lies discussed by Amendment G opponents. One lie is that Amendment G is extreme. I must ask, is saving the life of a mother extreme? Amendment G is closely aligned with the framework of Roe v. Wade, which served us well for more than 50 years and has proven to work. Another lie opponents assert is that parental consent is not required for minors seeking abortions under Amendment G.
This is simply false; in fact, parents will continue to control and manage the health care of their children just as they currently do. Opponents also falsely state that many abortions are completed during the third trimester and up to birth, and that anyone can perform abortions.
These are the facts: less than 1% of abortions occur in the third trimester, and if one is needed, it is almost always done to save the life of the woman. Lastly, only licensed physicians would be able to perform abortions, as it is a crime to practice medicine without a license in South Dakota.
Abortion restrictions and bans don’t lower abortion rates. Rather, they increase health risks for women. The repercussions are higher maternal mortality rates and decreased access to obstetrical-gynecological care for all women. For the health care of women and nothing short of saving their lives, please vote yes on Amendment G in favor of supporting access to health care!
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