ACN Comments on Brigham Arrest

The Abortion Care Network is a 501(c)(3) organization of independent abortion providers and allies. We stand for the very best in medical and emotional care and support for women who choose abortion. It is a source of tremendous frustration and anger to us that there are shoddy practitioners who provide abortion services without regard to ethics, legality, or the well being of women.  Independent abortion providers all over the country have attempted to bring the attention of regulatory agencies to this kind of activity without success. Not only do substandard practitioners harm vulnerable women, they provide fodder for the forces that will do anything to return us to the days when abortion was illegal.

With the scandal surrounding the illegal activities of Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia that apparently included illegal activities, not legal abortion; and the recent allegations made against the notorious Steve Brigham, the public has a right to ask if abortion really is safe. The actions of a small and unrepresentative group of predators require that we reassert that abortion is one of the safest of all medical procedures. The actions of these bad providers are being used as ammunition by right wing legislators who are obsessed with controlling women’s sexuality, as are other fundamentalist sects. Under the guise of concern for women’s safety, they pass laws imposing architectural and procedural regulations that have no bearing on safety, designed to make it impossible for clinics to provide services. It is easy to see that the sponsors of this kind of legislation do not care for women because, in fact, their intention is to be sponsors of illegal abortion.

In any other field, dissatisfied consumers would be the first to alert other potential consumers and regulatory agencies to bad practices. The stigmatization of abortion that has been bought and paid for by years of religious and right wing effort make it almost impossible for women to share their experiences with each other. We call for a renewed recognition of the safety of abortion and the sanctity of human self determination that includes Reproductive Justice. In a pluralistic society this is our human right.