Stirring Up Fear Unnecessarily
December 12, 2023
by Steven A. Foley, MD
As an OB/Gyn physician and a leader within CMDA’s OB/Gyn Specialty Section, I would like to respond to the call for boycotting “anti-abortion states” by the American Urological Association (AUA). This article questions the ethics and the challenges to female physicians’ well-being of hosting professional meetings in states where abortion is restricted.
Organizations such as AUA and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) are attempting to stir up fear regarding pro-life laws that have been passed by elected officials in multiple states for the protection of the unborn. Contrary to what AUA would have you believe, these laws do not put women at risk. It appears that organizations, such as the AUA and ACOG, are not interested in the welfare of the newborn. Their primary focus is abortion being legal throughout the entire 40 weeks of pregnancy.
A great deal of confusion exists regarding the content of pro-life laws. Much of the confusion is promoted by these organizations falsely claiming that enforcement of the laws will lead to the death of women. There are no laws that prevent a healthcare worker from saving the life of the mother. The AUA article is very clear in what the law says: “A person may not knowingly perform or induce or attempt an abortion UNLESS (emphasis mine) the mother has a life-threatening condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that places her at risk for death or serious life-threatening condition.” If the mother is facing a serious health condition, the baby must be delivered, even if it is pre-viable. There is never a need to kill the baby before delivery. As a pro-life OB/Gyn, I have delivered many babies before viability, knowing I was saving the life of the mother by doing so.
What is even more disturbing about the article is the attempt by the authors to advocate for unlimited abortion throughout the entire pregnancy, as well as to use this article to promote other agendas, such as LGBTQIA+ safety and gun control.
As specialists committed to protecting all women, including the unborn, we need to speak out against this radical agenda. The laws protect women, and NO woman with a complicated pregnancy in Texas need worry that laws in Texas will keep them from receiving appropriate medical care. All women, born and unborn, should feel safe in Texas when traveling to Texas for conferences.
Helping women understand family planning methods that are available world wide to prevent unwanted pregnancies was part of my committment as a physician in the Congo and Haiti and elsewhere while also on faculty at Harvard School of Public Health. Why have you left this out of the discussion?
Thanks for the article. One would think that highly educated people would read what the law says or at least have a discussion about opposing views. Sadly, those who oppose, my physician colleagues, can’t meet with me to have an open transparent conversation. Stay strong in standing up for the unborn child!
I appreciate your post. Not only has this position been taken by the AUA, it has been very prominent among academics in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The arguments for avoiding these states suffer from the same pitfalls that you outlined. I find it disheartening that many of my colleagues see no problem with unlimited access to abortion for any reason and for no reason at all.