In some ways, our backgrounds in maternal health care are quite different. One of us is a full-spectrum doula, one of us specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and one of us has spent a career in maternal and fetal medicine. It is the similarities though, not the differences, that led us to sign on as Protect Our Rights’ sworn sponsors, a role required by the state for launching a ballot initiative.
Protect Our Rights’ initiative asks voters to protect the right to legal abortion care until fetal viability or when needed to protect the life or health of the patient, an exception that is similar to current state law.
As maternal health professionals, supporting this initiative was an easy decision to make. Our training and experiences have shaped our views on this issue, showing us that people seek abortion care for a variety of deeply personal reasons. Each patient and pregnancy are unique, and it’s important that Nebraskans have the power to decide what is right for their circumstances in consultation with medical experts they know and trust.
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At its heart, that’s what this effort is all about: making sure that Nebraskans can access the care they need with compassion and privacy, free from government interference. Abortion is health care, and it must remain accessible, legal and safe in Nebraska.
So, why now? Because we cannot wait for things to get more dire.
Last year, state senators came just one vote short of passing a near-total ban. They had enough votes for a slightly less restrictive but still harmful bill that banned care beyond 12 weeks gestational age, passing it despite a co-signed letter of opposition from more than 1,000 Nebraska physicians, nurses and other medical professionals.
Abortion is now banned at a point in pregnancy that falls before many significant pregnancy complications can be diagnosed, including threats to maternal health and congenital disorders that are incompatible with life. Physicians cannot gather enough information by 12 weeks to counsel patients appropriately, and Nebraskans are getting suboptimal health care as a result.
By now, you’ve likely seen news of a competing petition supported by anti-abortion politicians and organizations. They’re essentially seeking to constitutionalize Nebraska’s current ban while leaving the door open for more restrictive bans in years to come.
It’s telling that, just as we have seen in other states, at least one of the lawmakers who helped pass Nebraska’s current ban has expressed regrets due to resulting maternal health consequences. But despite these concerns, backers of this new initiative are pressing on. Some of its supporters, including Gov. Jim Pillen, have been clear that their eventual goal is a total ban.
In response to that, we echo the words of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: state policy should never override standards of care nor put a person’s health or life at risk. Forcing someone to carry a pregnancy against their will and potentially against their doctors’ best medical judgment has life-altering consequences, including serious health risks.
We know there have been heated, inaccurate and irresponsible claims made about our petition by some groups who want to ban abortion in Nebraska. To those comments, we ask you to talk with a medical provider you trust. And consider the policies for yourself. The truth is that our language is extremely similar to abortion access in Nebraska before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Regardless of our politics, most Nebraskans agree that the government should not be involved in personal decisions that are better left to patients and their health care providers.