Should abortion clinics be regulated in America?
By Opalina143
@opalina143 (1240)
Morristown, New Jersey
November 9, 2009 8:35pm CST
In the United States, only 23 states have health and safety regulations for abortion clinics. In eight states, laws are on the books but are being blocked by court action from Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice organizations. Planned Parenthood generally opposes measures that would require clinics to be inspected and meet a list of health standards, claiming that such regulations would either drive up the cost of abortions by requiring clinics to make changes or close the clinics altogether, since most clinics do not meet these standards already.
For example, when there was legislation in Virginia (SB 1270) Planned Parenthood released a factsheet saying:
"The real impact of this bill would be to dramatically decrease access to safe abortion services in Virginia." It called the restrictions "unnecessary and unreasonable" and said they would "make abortions prohibitory expensive" for women.
Here is what the bill actually states:
"....all abortion clinics, defined as any facility other than a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center in which 25 or more first trimester abortions are performed in any 12-month period, [are] to be licensed and to comply with the requirements currently in place for ambulatory surgery centers except the requirement for a certificate of public need. The Board of Health may also waive certain structural requirements."
So this law would not impose a single regulation on clinics that was not already in place for all other forms of surgery. In fact, it would impose less- structural mandates and a requirement for a certificate would be omitted.
Planned Parenthood, however, fought to prevent their clinics from being made to adhere any standards at all.
The bill was defeated- Planned Parenthood won, and now there are no health guidelines for abortion clinics in Virginia.
PP continues to oppose any and all regulations on abortion's safety.
Is this right?
The lack of regulation has led to conditions such as those in a Kansas abortion clinic which, after operating legally for years, was finally inspected after being charged with criminal botched abortions. The detective said:
"There was an unfamiliar type stench in the room. Frankly, I was reluctant to sit down... Bear in mind, I am an experienced police officer who has worked in every aspect in law enforcement and had spent my last five years in the homicide unit where I worked countless community deaths. I thought I had heard and seen every vile, disgusting crime scene but was in for a new shock when I started this investigation."
Detective William Howard Jr. Kansas City. Kansas Police Department Eyewitness Testimony of Officer, House Committee on Health and Humices , March 15,2005
Few pro-choice people are aware of the role Planned Parenthood plays in blocking inspections of abortion clinics. In 1989, a Florida clinic that had been operating legally for years was finally inspected by the health department:
"There was actually an abortion suction device in this place that had green mold growing in it, When we got there, there wasn't any soap in the place, so our inspectors had to go next door to wash their hands. No matter how hard they searched, clinic personnel couldn't find a single sanitary surgical glove in the entire clinic. Patients recovering from general anesthetic were attended by untrained, unlicensed personnel. And an oxygen mask still had lipstick on it from a patient who had needed it some time before. In addition, the expiration date had passed on nearly 70 different kinds of medication being used in the facility. These are deplorable conditions. The clinic appears to be little more than a satellite operation of the back alley abortion mill we closed early this week. We are powerless to ensure that women will receive safe, adequate health care in abortion clinics."
Secretary Gregory L. Coler, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services
PR Newswire, Florida HRS secretary closes second Miami abortion clinic, 9/27/1989
There are dozens more stories like this at http://clinicquotes.com/site/story.php?id=80
6 responses
@JodiLynn (1417)
• United States
10 Nov 09
Yes there should definitively be regulations, in ALL states.
That said, I am a proud sponsor of Planned Parenthood. I have used their services as a teen and then later on, they caught my cancer in time. I am forever in their debt, as they helped me with so much more than the cancer...financial/medical, a great surgeon etc. I've only been to the ones in Pennsylvania. I can only attest to the status of the PPH's here, which have all been extremely clean and sanitary.
I can't imagine there are NO regulations on the Virginia offices?
I will ask about it on Emily's list.
@opalina143 (1240)
• Morristown, New Jersey
10 Nov 09
I've used Planned Parenthood's services as well. PP has done a lot of good work in the community. The PP that I went to was also clean and well run.
Unfortunately, I think there are people on the board of PP who have been known to make bad decisions on policy. The bill in Virginia was real and was opposed by Planned Parenthood, and their website was less than honest when appealing to pro-choice supporters to campaign against it.
PP is concerned that some of these regulations would force the clinics to make expensive changes. For example, there was one bill (NH I think) that contained regulations such and as mandating that the clinics had to adhere to cleanliness and safety standards, had to use proper sterile technique, could not reuse disposable instruments on more than on woman against the manufacturers recommendations, and the doctors had to have admitting privileges to a local hospital- meaning that an injured woman could be transferred quickly if needed. PP probably would have been ok with these regulations, but the bill also mandated that doorways in the clinic had to be wide enough to admit a stretcher, so an injured woman could be carried out and not be forced to walk. This is standard in most surgical clinics.
However, this would have meant costly remodeling. PP determined that this would be too expensive. Therefore, they opposed the bill.
While I can understand their reasoning, I don't feel opposing such legislation is in women's best interest.
Also, you have to remember that although PP is billed as a nonprofit organization, they do have to turn a profit to run. Their doctors, counselors, technicians, and receptionists all take home paychecks (and to be honest, their doctors and administrators often take home LARGE paychecks) and these people want their money. PP is a business like any other.
So yes, PP does good work. Does the good outweigh the bad? Well, that's a matter for consideration. But one does not have to oppose PP or abortion to be concerned about this particular PP policy.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
10 Nov 09
I think it is up to each state how they want to regulate it.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
10 Nov 09
That doesn't surprise me. Planned Parenthood is a pro-abortion organization whose primary purpose is to make sure that abortions happen as much as humanly possible. They'll oppose anything that has even the slightest chance of slowing down the abortion industry even if it is intended to make things safer for the woman having the abortion. This is the same organization that has been caught on tape in multiple states covering up child rape and encouraging minors to illegally cross state lines and commit perjury to expedite abortions.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
10 Nov 09
In my local area restaurants were inspected and then the local newspaper published the findings. Some restaurants were dirty and the report must have put people off eating there. Ladies having abortions in the USA could be in danger which such reports being published. Some ladies die that have an abortion like Laura Hope Smith an American lady in her early twenties.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
10 Nov 09
Yes, I believe that all abortion clinics should be subject to the same regulations as any other facility that performs any type of surgical procedure. A woman's right to a safe and sanitary procedure should not be impeded by Planned Parenthood or anyone else. I wasn't aware of this so thanks for bringing this to light.
