Politics & Government

New Regulations Could Shut Down Va. Abortion Clinics

Medical facilities say their clinics would need to embark on costly renovations to meet the new requirements.

The Virginia Department of Health released draft regulations last month that could force some of the 22 medical facilities that offer first-trimester abortions in Virginia to shut down if they do not comply with the new requirements.

State lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year that required the health department to classify medical facilities that offer at least five abortions a month as hospitals and create new regulations to govern them, according to media reports.

The new rules include increasing state inspections, owning life-saving equipment, and specifying the size of exam rooms and public corridors, among others. Many medical facilities that offer first-trimester abortions say their clinics would need to embark on costly renovations to meet the new requirements.

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Critics say imposing the new rules on health-care facilities would unfairly restrict women’s reproductive rights. 

"These regulations are not about safety, they're about closing abortion clinics, plain and simple," Jill Abbey, director of the Richmond Medical Center for Women, told The Virginia Pilot.

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But the Virginia Catholic Conference announced that they support the new rules because they promote women’s health, according to The Washington Post.

To make matters more complicated, The Huffington Post reported that a top state health official is married to “prominent” anti-abortion lobbyist, causing some in the health community to be concerned about a potential conflict of interest.

The Board of Health is scheduled to vote on the new temporary rules on September 15th.

Click here for the full story on The Huffington Post.


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