May 21, 2012

Today the Washington Post published an interview with PRCH board member Willie Parker, MD, MPH, MSc about H.R. 3803—a proposed ban for the District of Columbia on abortions after 20 weeks (post-fertilization)—and his reasons for providing later abortions.

When the reporter asked if Dr. Parker is worried about anti-abortion violence, he replied that he is “more concerned about what might happen to [patients] than what might happen to me.”

On Friday, the Washington Post Wonkblog quoted written testimony Dr. Parker submitted against H.R. 3803 for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution. In his testimony, Dr. Parker noted: “While most women can look forward to a safe pregnancy, pregnancies can go terribly wrong.”

Dr. Parker lives and practices in the District, and in his testimony, he shared stories of patients who had abortions after 20 weeks, care that should be an option for every woman. One of his patients was 23 1/2 weeks pregnant when “she discovered that her very desired pregnancy was complicated by a deadly fetal anomaly. She and her husband were distraught … but resolute that abortion was the right decision for them.” Read more in Dr. Parker’s testimony, which also appears on RH Reality Check.