Arizona Abortion Providers Fight This Awful Law

Abortion providers in Arizona are sick of their state limiting women's freedom of choice and telling doctors what to say to patients. On Thursday, several health care providers filed a lawsuit in a federal court against a law passed by the Arizona legislature in March that requires physicians to tell patients that medically-induced abortions can potentially be reversed. The law, SB 1318, is currently scheduled to take effect July 3, and providers want to block it before it effects any doctors or patients in the state. Arizona women's health advocates have a lot to say about Arizona's abortion reversal law, and (spoiler alert) they aren't nice things.

The lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood Arizona, Desert Star Family Planning, and three local doctors, who are being represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Squire Patton Boggs. According to Planned Parenthood, about half of Arizona women who choose to have an abortion decide on a medication abortion. Aside from thinking the possibility of reversing an abortion is just bad science, the providers who filed the lawsuit worry that telling women a medically-induced abortion is reversible will lead many to induce an abortion before they're ready, thinking they can undo it if they change their mind.

Here's what some of the providers and organizations representing them have to say about SB 1318.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

This reckless law forces doctors to lie to their patients, and it puts women’s health at risk. This law should never have passed, and we’re asking the court to stop it from going into effect. At Planned Parenthood, all of our physicians, nurses, and clinicians make sure women have support and accurate information about all of their options. This law inserts politics and junk science into every exam room in Arizona and that’s why we’re fighting it.

Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights

Plain and simple, this law would force doctors to lie to women about their health care options, and that is never acceptable. Women and their health care providers must be able to make decisions about the care that’s right for them based on solid evidence and sound medical practice, not the agendas of politicians who have no business interfering in these matters. We are confident the courts will put an end to this intrusive and deceitful law.

Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project

Extreme legislators are so focused on preventing a woman from getting an abortion that they will completely ignore the medical experts and hide behind bad medicine. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated instance. In too many states across the country, legislators are pushing laws that are opposed by leading medical organizations for the sole purpose of shutting down women’s health centers and stopping a woman from getting an abortion.

Dr. Ilana Addis, chair of Arizona's section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

We must realize that the groups behind this measure are the same people who’s intent it is to ban safe, legal abortions outright.

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