Dear Senator,
As a physician and Rhode Island Citizen, I am writing in support of Senate Bill 2163.
The decision to have a baby or not is very personal, and needs to be protected. While I think we should be doing everything possible to make for a better and safer world for parents and children, women who need an abortion for whatever reason need that process to be appropriately safe, private, and timely. With the current political climate, that right is under attack, and current Rhode Island law is insufficient protection.
The predictable failure rate of properly used birth control naturally leads to tens of thousands of unwanted pregnancies across the country every year. For some, that may be a happy mishap, for others, a devastating problem. Women must be able to have honest conversations and safe options to deal with such events. Having a baby is no small matter, nor is it always safe. I personally have two friends almost die as a result of hemorrhages, and another woman I know had a devastating stroke, leaving her unable to talk, move half her body, or work. And these were WANTED pregnancies. How much more horrible such an event would be if a woman were forced to bring a pregnancy to full-term that she did not even want.
Thank you for your time, and again I encourage you to vote in support of Bill 2163.
Sincerely,
Paula G Carmichael M.D.