Media Center: Press Release

“HHS wants to override states’ laws with rules that will put women’s health and access to contraception at risk.”

New York, NY—The Department of Health and Human Services recently proposed changes to federal regulations that would greatly expand the number of healthcare providers permitted to refuse reproductive services to women. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health released the following statement from board chair Suzanne T. Poppema, MD, in response to the draft regulations:

“As a physician, I am deeply troubled by the new regulations proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services. By drastically expanding the rules on who can refuse to provide reproductive services, HHS is placing politics over medicine. If enacted, institutions and individuals could deny women some of the most effective forms of birth control, or withhold information from patients about their contraceptive options.

“In my years as a family physician, I saw how difficult it is for many women to get birth control. Women don’t need more regulations that deny them basic healthcare.

“We can all agree that preventing unintended pregnancy is a worthy policy goal. Many states have shown their support for this objective by passing laws that ensure women can have access to affordable contraception, or prevent pregnancy following sexual assault. Now HHS wants to override states’ laws with rules that will put women’s health and access to contraception at risk. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health urges HHS to prioritize women’s health and refuse to enact these needless regulations.”

PHYSICIANS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT