"Laws limiting access to abortion ... have been drafted by politicians, not medical experts. ... who is most competent to set guidelines related to women's health care: doctors and professional medical organizations or politicians?"

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It's time to remove politics from women's health care
By Kathy Hartke, M.D., Elizabeth Pritts, M.D., and Tosha Wetterneck, M.D.

With all of the attention being paid to limiting women's access to abortion in Wisconsin today, one important fact has been overshadowed: Abortion is a safe medical procedure performed by highly trained doctors whose priority is to ensure patient health and safety.

As doctors, we work every day to make sure our patients receive high-quality health care in a safe, respectful environment. Doctors who provide abortion services to women are no different. Patient health and safety are our top priority regardless of what medical service is being provided or who is receiving medical care, and medical professionals work every day to improve health outcomes.

Laws limiting access to abortion through unnecessary hospital admitting privileges that are being litigated today have been drafted by politicians, not medical experts. These politicians have advanced these laws despite vocal opposition from medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists with the goal of ending women's access to safe and legal abortions. With no medical justification to support these politically motivated restrictions, requiring admitting privileges actually endangers women.

The fact is abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the United States today. Of course, when a complication does occur — and this is rare — the patient certainly would be accepted for treatment at any hospital, where staff physicians would be able to treat her. In other words, admitting privileges do not affect a woman's ability to receive emergency care when she needs it.

We need to ask ourselves, who is most competent to set guidelines related to women's health care: doctors and professional medical organizations or politicians?

Interfering with a woman's personal decision-making during difficult times and taking away access to care won't make abortion go away and could jeopardize her health. It is medically irresponsible to restrict the ability of women to access safe, legal abortion care.

It is time to remove politics from women's health. This very personal decision should be left up to the woman to be made in consultation with her doctor, reflecting her own medical, personal and family considerations. Patient care should be left to the medical experts who are committed to making sure women have safe, compassionate, respectful, quality medical care. That is exactly what we are focused on every day.
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