Wisconsin Women’s Network: State Legislature wants to be your OB/GYN

Targeting women and families with the 20 week abortion ba

MADISON- Today, the Reproductive Rights Task Force of the Wisconsin Women’s Network (WWN) issued the following statement after Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) circulated a bill on May 7 for co-sponsorship that would ban the termination of pregnancies after 20 weeks.

As a coalition of women’s health advocacy groups, organizations, people of faith and concerned individuals, we oppose this unnecessary interference into the private medical decisions of women and their families. This legislation is invasive, attempts to practice medicine in place of trained and qualified physicians, and makes medical decisions for women and families.

We believe that it is not our state government’s place, nor its right, to interfere into such private and personal decisions. No one understands the difficulty of a healthcare decision more than patients and families. When we go to the doctor, we expect to be given advice based upon the best available medical information without interference from people, government, or organizations that don’t understand our particular lives or situations. We expect to be given information about our health and be allowed to make informed decisions.

If we quash the ability for doctors to do their job, we open the door to unsafe, uninformed medical practices. This helps no one. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Nurse-Midwives, the American Medical Women’s Association, The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and the American Public Health Association oppose these types of restrictions on healthcare because they are based upon inaccurate medical information and put women’s health and lives at risk. We are very concerned as to why elected officials would target women with legislation which isn’t supported by research or the medical community, compromises the integrity of the medical community, and threatens the health of Wisconsin women. As a Task Force, we stand firm in our commitment to ensuring that everyone in our state has access to quality healthcare and objective medical advice.

The Reproductive Rights Task Force is a task force of the Wisconsin Women’s Network and actively promotes initiatives that improve access to reproductive health care by connecting and coordinating statewide reproductive rights stakeholders through communication, education, advocacy, and community building. To find out more information about the Wisconsin Women’s Network and the Reproductive Rights Task Force, visit http://www.wiwomensnetwork.org.

Reproductive Rights Task Force Member Organizations:

League of Women Voters of Wisconsin

Medical Students for Choice Wisconsin Chapter

NARAL Pro- Choice Wisconsin

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Wisconsin NOW- National Organization for Women

Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Wisconsin Women’s Network

Women’s Medical Fund