Portland, Maine, Sep 25, 2017 / 09:21 am
A lawsuit seeking to challenge a Maine law allowing only doctors to perform abortions has drawn criticism from pro-life advocates who warned it could endanger women's health and safety.
"I'm gravely concerned about the health and safety of the mother," Suzanne Lafreniere, director of public policy for Diocese of Portland, told CNA.
Lafreniere predicted that allowing non-doctors to perform abortions will worsen medical complications in communities that lack immediate help from a local hospital or doctor who knows the procedure well.
Maine law currently allows abortions to be performed only by physicians. About three-quarters of U.S. states have similar laws, though two other states in the region, Vermont and New Hampshire, do not.