On Monday May 20, 2019 in the United States District Court for the Eastern United States, before Judge Henry Hudson, a trial began regarding who will be allowed to perform abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The case, which is a challenge brought by pro-abortion groups, to current reasonable laws has already stirred interest and outcry. Two weeks ago Judge Hudson issued a summary judgement that would have allowed non doctors to perform abortions, and then only a week later reversed his decision and called for a full trial for both sides to make arguments.

The lawsuit, named Falls Church Medical Center, LLC v. Oliver, was brought by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU last year.  

Groups like NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and ACLU are pressing hard to have the Court overturn the Virginia laws that prevent individuals who are not licensed physicians from doing abortions.  Abortion is always a deadly experience for unborn children, but would be made even more dangerous and possibly deadly for the mothers if non doctors are allowed to perform abortions. 

  The Supreme Court was very clear in the Roe v. Wade decision that abortion was a between a woman and her doctor. The Court did not open the door to anyone else to do abortions, not nurses, physician’s assistants, counselors or anyone else. If the US District Court allow non doctors to perform abortions, not only would it go beyond the terms set by Roe and subsequent rulings, it would also open the door to almost anyone being allowed to perform abortions in every state. The fallout of which would create a situation where no woman would be safe from unscrupulous individuals operating outside the standards of medical care but making money from the abortion business. 

“Pro-Abortion groups want this case to succeed because they realize that fewer and fewer young doctors are willing to become abortionists. Advances in prenatal care, like ultrasounds and prenatal surgery, have shown clearly to medical students and doctors that when treating a pregnant woman there are two patients, mother and baby!” said Olivia Gans Turner, VSHL President

“This case is also dangerous to other pro-life laws. It is a challenge to almost every pro-life law in Virginia because if the state is not allowed to pass a law that so clearly is designed for a women’s safety, then every other law regarding the practice of abortion could be challenged and overturned. The US Supreme Court has recognized the rights of the states to pass protective laws and Virginia’s laws fall clearly under these rulings.”, said Gans Turner.

Virginia Society for Human Life is the oldest state-wide pro-life organization in the nation with chapters throughout the Commonwealth supporting life issues and the Virginia affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.