In some ways, our experience of maternal health care is quite different. One of us is a full-spectrum doula, one of us is a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and one of us has spent a career in maternal and fetal medicine. However, it’s the similarities, not the differences, that led us to sign up as pledge sponsors of Protect Our Rights, a role required by the state to launch a ballot initiative.
The Protect Our Rights initiative asks voters to protect the right to legal abortion care until the fetus is viable or when necessary to protect the life or health of the patient, an exception that is similar to current state law.
As maternal health professionals, supporting this initiative was an easy decision to make. Our training and experience have shaped our views on this issue, showing us that people seek abortion care for a variety of deeply personal reasons. Every patient and pregnancy is unique, and it’s important that Nebraskans have the power to decide what’s right for their circumstances by consulting medical experts they know and trust.
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At its core, that’s the goal of this effort: to ensure that Nebraskans have access to the care they need, with compassion and privacy, without government interference. Abortion is health care and must remain accessible, legal and safe in Nebraska.
So why now? Because we can’t wait for things to get scarier.
Last year, state senators fell just one vote short of passing a near-total ban. They had enough votes for a slightly less restrictive but still harmful bill that would ban care after 12 weeks of gestational age, passing it despite a co-signed letter of objection from more than 1,000 Nebraska doctors, nurses and other health professionals .
Abortion is now prohibited at a point in pregnancy that falls before many significant pregnancy complications can be diagnosed, including threats to the mother’s health and congenital diseases that are incompatible with life. Doctors cannot gather enough information for up to 12 weeks to counsel patients appropriately, and as a result, Nebraskans receive suboptimal health care.
By now, you’ve probably seen the news about a competing petition backed by anti-abortion politicians and organizations. They essentially seek to constitutionalize Nebraska’s current ban while leaving the door open for more restrictive bans in the years to come.
Significantly, as we’ve seen in other states, at least one of the legislators who helped pass Nebraska’s current ban has expressed regret over the effects on the mother’s health. But despite these concerns, supporters of this new initiative are pressing ahead. Some of its supporters, including Gov. Jim Pilon, have been clear that their ultimate goal is a total ban.
In response, we echo the words of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Government policy should never override the standard of care or put a person’s health or life at risk. Forcing someone to carry a pregnancy to term against their will and potentially against a doctor’s best medical judgment has life-changing consequences, including serious health risks.
We know there are heated, inaccurate and irresponsible claims about our petition from some groups who want to ban abortion in Nebraska. For these comments, please speak to a healthcare professional you trust. And consider the policies yourself. The truth is, our language is remarkably similar to abortion access in Nebraska before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Regardless of our politics, most Nebraskans agree that government should not be involved in personal decisions that are better left to patients and their health care providers.
Dr. Carolyn Maude Doherty, Dr. Andrew Robertson, and Jasmine Smith are staunch and staunch sponsors of the Protect Our Rights abortion rights initiative.
