ACOG Comment on Supreme Court Oral Arguments in NIFLA v. Becerra

Washington, DC—Haywood L. Brown, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), issued the following statement regarding today’s arguments in NIFLA v. Becerra:

“Timely and accurate information is essential to decision-making in health care. Women considering abortion must be able to make informed decisions based on evidence based and medically accurate information.

“In our amicus brief, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) makes it clear that policies that allow women to obtain desired medical services as quickly and safely as possible are of the utmost importance. Unnecessary delays are harmful to women’s health.

“Requiring unlicensed medical facilities to inform women that there are no licensed medical providers on staff prevents those facilities from misleading women into believing that the services being offered at that facility are medically necessary or beneficial.

“We hope that members of the Court will uphold the state of California’s efforts to protect timely access to medical care.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, ACOG strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. Not all of our members provide abortions, but all of our members know that facts are important when it comes to the provision and regulation of health care for women. www.acog.org