New Abortion Regulations in Virginia - Essay Example

[Insert Here] [Insert Your Here] [Insert and Number Here] 03 April New Abortion Regulations in Virginia As of 2010, only 23 states were reported as having safety and health regulations for abortion clinics. Furthermore, of the 23 states, 8 of those states have laws in place that have been repeatedly blocked in a court of law by pro-choice organizations such as Planned Parenthood, other abortion clinics, and politicians (“MyLot”). The new legislation in Virginia is not even among the harshest regulations in the country.

For example, South Dakota has a law in place that requires women to seek counseling prior to deciding on abortion, and then the woman must wait for three days before going in for the procedure (Melnick). Still, it has been common practice for Planned Parenthood to rally support among those who believe in pro-choice, to oppose measures that would require inspection of the organizations’ clinics or mandate health standard adherence. The argument has consistently been that following such “unnecessary” regulations would make abortions more costly for patients; or perhaps even unavailable since many of the clinics would be unable to adhere to such standards (“MyLot”).

Even though abortions are controversial and many feel that they should be illegal altogether, abortion clinics should be regulated because abortions should be treated like any other surgical procedure and the new law will protect women from an unhealthy and unclean environment. Abortion clinics should be regulated, just like any other medical facility. Prior to the new legislation in Virginia, clinics were allowed to soar under the radar, so to speak. They were not subject to rigorous inspection.

However, according to the Clinic Quotes Website, there have been a number of cases where a government official entered an abortion clinic, undercover, based on a tip received from an employee or patient, and have found clinics abusing their freedom. The author cites a specific example, “a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas is facing 107 criminal counts after officials were able to review only 29 patient records” (“Clinic Quotes”). The new law will protect women from an unhealthy and unclean environment.

However, Blue Ridge Planned Parenthood Director, David Nova, feels differently, stating “Requiring our rooms to be 16x18, or requiring our corridors to be hospital-wide, is not going to improve health and safety for women in Virginia” (qtd. in Tate). Without the new legislation, abortion clinics are not required to meet certain architectural requirements that hospitals must adhere to. Therefore, if something were to go wrong during the abortion procedure at a Planned Parenthood clinic, for example, it may prove difficult for an ambulance to get a stretcher through the doors of the clinic (“Clinic Quotes”).

The most important reason abortion clinics should be regulated is because abortions should be treated like any other surgical procedure. The new Virginia legislation was passed as part of a bill dealing with prevention of infection and other safety issues in hospitals and nursing homes (Tate). An abortion is a very invasive procedure that can cause many health-related issues if not done correctly, or if anything were to go wrong. While many regulations are already in place, enforcement of the regulations is one of the next steps in ensuring women remain healthy and safe when having the surgery (“MyLot”).

In conclusion, although abortions are extremely controversial and many individuals and groups feel that they should be illegal altogether, abortion clinics should be regulated for two primary reasons. First, the new law protects women who visit these abortion clinics as patients. No longer will they need to worry about contracting a disease or being exposed to infection. There are many different reasons for a woman to choose to have an abortion, and the decision is up to the individual. However, having it done in a regulated environment where the procedure is treated like an actual surgery is of utmost concern to politicians who support enactment of the regulations (Tate).

Works Cited "Abortion Clinic Health Regulations: Right or Wrong?" Clinic Quotes. Clinicquotes.com, n.d. Web. 3 Apr 2011. . Melnick, Meredith. "Women Seeking Abortions in South Dakota Will Wait Three Days." Time Healthland. Time Inc., 23 March 2011. Web. 3 Apr 2011. . "Should Abortion Clinics be Regulated in America?" MyLot. MyLot, 2010. Web. 3 Apr 2011. . Tate, David. "Update: Abortion Clinics Regulated By New Law." ABC 13. WorldNow and WSET, 24 Feb 2011. Web. 3 Apr 2011. .