Press Release |

H.R. 4712 unnecessary, inflammatory, and does a disservice to patients

The U.S. House of Representatives voted this morning to pass H.R. 4712, a bill intended to intimidate abortion providers and curb patients’ access to essential care. In response to the vote, Physicians for Reproductive Health’s Consulting Medical Director Dr. Anne Davis issued the following statement:

“On January 22, Americans will celebrate the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which enshrined into law the right to legally access abortion care across the nation. It is no coincidence that this anti-abortion Congress is choosing this occasion to attack that right and the health care providers who deliver that care with H.R. 4712, an unnecessary and inflammatory piece of legislation.

“This bill, the latest in an ongoing offensive against reproductive health access, seeks to intimidate and discredit reproductive health care providers, like my colleagues and me, who work to ensure safe, evidence-based, and compassionate care for our patients. It is an egregious intrusion into the exam room and into physicians’ ability to provide the care that is appropriate under the unique circumstances of each pregnancy.

“By putting politicians between women and their providers, the bill does nothing to improve the quality of care and in fact does a great disservice to patients. Patients’ access to the highest standard of care should not be constrained by political grandstanding. Quite simply, politicians should leave the practice of medicine to medical experts.”

Dr. Anne Davis is the Consulting Medical Director at Physicians for Reproductive Health. She’s also an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Her research interests include new hormonal contraceptives, how women use contraceptives, and contraception in women with medical problems.

Dr. Davis is director of the Kenneth Ryan Family Planning Fellowship at Columbia University, of which she is a graduate. Frequently interviewed by the media, she is a vocal advocate for reproductive choice.