Keeping the Police Out of Pregnancy Care

FROM THE ARTICLE

Op-ed by PRH President and CEO Dr. Jamilia Perritt & Lourdes A. Rivera

Imagine you’re pregnant and excited for your new baby—tracking kicks, setting up the crib, picking out names. Then comes sudden, unexpected pain. You lose your pregnancy at home, terrified and bleeding, and you do what you’ve always taught your kids to do in an emergency: you call for help.

The paramedics arrive—and with them, police. The questions come before the care: How far along were you? How long did you wait before calling 911? Did you get regular prenatal care? Were you excited to be pregnant? Have you taken any drugs? Instead of prioritizing your physical and emotional well-being, you’re suddenly facing criminal charges, worried about losing your kids, and trying to find a lawyer you can afford.