Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 6, 2023 / 15:53 pm
The recent assertion by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that abortion “without restriction” is essential health care was met with condemnation by pro-life advocates, including leading pro-life doctors.
The claims were made by Dr. Christopher Zahn, interim chief executive of ACOG, and Jenni Villavicencio, interim director of advocacy and public affairs for the Society of Family Planning, in a Washington Post opinion piece.
Dr. Christina Francis, a certified OB-GYN and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs (AAPLOG), pushed back on the pro-abortion claims, saying that there are “two patients involved in a pregnancy” and that “ACOG’s statement is clearly motivated by politics and not a commitment to evidence-based medical care.”
“Induced abortion is a medical procedure to end a pregnancy such that it does not result in a live birth; this means its intent is to end the life of the embryonic or fetal human beings,” Francis told CNA. “It is deadly — not safe — for the preborn child, but it also poses several risks for the pregnant mother, especially at later gestational ages.”