Beginning January 1, 2023, a medical clinician in Tennessee will be required to be physically present when abortion pills are administered to a patient. Doctors that violate the law will be penalized. Carol Tobias of National Right to Life Committee tells AFN that several other states (19, according to The Associated Press) have something similar to this statute.
"It's incredibly important that if a woman is going to get the chemical or medication abortion pills, that a doctor do some examination first," Tobias contends, explaining that the resulting effects could be misinterpreted.
"There is a huge problem with one in 50 pregnancies being ectopic pregnancies – where the embryo is developing in the fallopian tube – and these bills don't affect the growing baby in that fallopian tube," she continues. "So, if a woman takes the pills, she is going to start cramping, she is going to start bleeding – and there is no way of telling or for her to know that it's something to do with an ectopic pregnancy rather than the result of the pills."
Planned Parenthood acknowledges "there can be some risks," but the abortion provider goes on to claim that "medication abortion is very safe."
"Those who support abortion are trying to make abortion as easily accessible as possible," says Tobias. "I think quite frankly if a woman has a baby, they [Planned Parenthood] seem to see that as failure because they just are pushing so hard to make it so easy for women to kill their children."
Meanwhile, groups including American Medical Association (AMA) have opposed the in-person requirement, saying the restriction offers no clear benefit to patients.
"How can the AMA downplay the dangers of something like an ectopic pregnancy?" asks Tobias. "It just goes to show once again those who support abortion – and unfortunately that includes the AMA – could care less about women. Their concern is killing the baby, not helping a woman or making sure that the process she is going through is safe for her."
According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 90% of ectopic pregnancies occur in a fallopian tube. Undetected, such a pregnancy can cause the tube to burst or rupture, resulting in major internal bleeding – a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate surgery.
