To the editor:

While there is much still to accomplish in Virginia, I am proud to live in a state where health equity has positive momentum. Unfortunately, that momentum was pushed aside when anti-choice politicians who have an election coming up in November sought to twist and manipulate the public into believing something false about a reproductive healthcare bill.

Existing Virginia law allows abortion later in a pregnancy only in cases when a woman’s life or health is endangered, but that law also inserts medically unnecessary steps, such as requiring two additional physicians to approve an abortion procedure. These additional barriers harm women by hindering timely access to care when a woman’s life is endangered, as in instances where something has gone medically wrong with the pregnancy.

To remove these medically unnecessary barriers, Delegate Kathy Tran introduced Virginia HB2491, the REPEAL Act, which would eliminate the excessive governmental requirement that two additional physicians are needed to give their opinion when someone’s life is at risk.

Bottom line: the REPEAL Act removes political interference between a woman and her doctor, and I thank Delegate Tran for making sure women have the final say in consultation with their physician, especially under these unbelievably terrifying circumstances that no woman could ever imagine nor plans to face in her lifetime.

Watching the anti-choice members of the Virginia House of Delegates misconstrue Delegate Tran’s testimony in such a hateful way is shameful and disrespectful to her, her family and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

-Lori Swain, Alexandria