SFMMS Opposes Anti-Reproductive Health Vigilantism: In Support of the Texas Medical Association September 16, 2021 Advocacy, CMA, Health Care Reform 0 Whereas, Roe v Wade established the legal right to abortion protecting the lives and health of women, and this new law will only place women at higher risk of later and/or illegal abortions; and Whereas, the new Texas law authorizes anyone opposed to legal abortion to report physicians or anybody else perceived to be aiding a woman in procuring a safe abortion, with financial rewards offered to encourage such reporting, a form of vigilantism with great potential dangers to women, clinicians, reproductive health organizations and others; and Whereas, SB 8 clearly violates patient autonomy, confidentiality, and the patient-physician relationship; and Whereas, SB 8 violates the human rights of women, including the right to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights, as specified in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and Whereas, The California Medical Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association, and American Psychiatric Association have issued statements strongly condemning SB 8; and Whereas, the Texas Medical Association has publicly proclaimed their strongest opposition to this law, observing that it “criminalizes medical practice”; Now, so be it RESOLVED: that the SFMMS expresses solidarity with and support of the Texas Medical Association in its opposition to Texas SB 8, which criminalizes almost all abortion and authorizes and encourages dangerous anti-physician vigilantism; and will actively work with legislators and reproductive health organizations in efforts to counter the implementation and spread of this dangerous and counterproductive law. Reference: TMA Statement: Enough Is Enough (texmed.org) Comments are closed.
