Petition: Tell ACOG to Stop Misrepresenting Abortion Laws

To the leadership of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:

We the undersigned medical professionals join with the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) in urging you to stop misrepresenting laws that regulate induced abortion on social media and in your publications, and to instead accurately interpret them for your members as well as issue clear guidance regarding how physicians can provide essential life-saving care to pregnant women in accordance with these laws.

Every state abortion law in the country clearly allows physicians to intervene to treat serious pregnancy complications. They do not require that a pregnant woman be at imminent risk of death to allow intervention, even if there is still a fetal heartbeat present.

These laws do not hinder high-quality patient care. Rather, it is widespread misinformation about them, as well as a lack of clarification by hospital attorneys and medical organizations such as yours, that cause physicians to needlessly delay care for women in potentially life-threatening situations.

This confusion is entirely unnecessary. These laws are consistent with the way that the 76-93% of OB/GYNs who do not perform induced abortions practice medicine. Furthermore, all physicians in these states with laws regulating abortion are legally able to provide essential and lifesaving reproductive health services.

By making – and doubling down on – false claims about these laws, and by refusing to provide accurate guidance for physicians in states with abortion laws, ACOG has only contributed to the harmful confusion. ACOG’s recent actions have been nothing less than a betrayal of the OB/GYNs it claims to support, as well as the medical profession as a whole and, more importantly, the patients we have committed our careers to serving.

As our nation’s largest OB/GYN professional organization, ACOG has the duty to share facts and promote clarity, not spread disinformation and fear within our profession. It is imperative that ACOG acknowledge the diversity of medical opinions amongst its membership and help ensure that American women receive life-saving healthcare in a timely fashion by sharing accurate information about abortion laws, regardless of the leadership’s personal feelings about those laws.

Signed,

The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Sign the Petition Below

Petition Signers

Yujin Van Auken, Rn

Maureen Curley, PhD APRN

Christina Cirucci, MD

John Voltz, MD

John Curlin, MD

Joe Cloud, MD

Deborah Honeycutt, MD

Donita Bylski-Austrow, PhD

Sarah Marrufo, SAHM

Diana Newman, RN Ed.D.

Elbridge Bills, MD

Christie Mileur, MD

Anna Serra-Radford, Manager

Anonymous Petitioner

Mary J O’SULLIVAN,, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Cathy Hoyt, ED

Stephen Scarantino, MD

Larry Davis, PRC Board

David Martinez, MD

Rebecca Pullen, CNM, NP-C

Karen Pennington, Dr

Kay Delaney, RN

Lawrence Gibbs, MD

James Davidson, MD

Grace Small, MA

Fidelma Rigby, MD

Beverly Scott, MD

James Kedrow, PA-C

Richard A Watson, MD

Damian Birchess, M.D.

Elizabeth Tovado, RN BSN

Joy Greer, MD

Peter Zimmer, MD

Dermot Kearney, MD

Anne Kern, MD

Holly Miller, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Charlotte Kedrow, RN, DMS

Alice Rainville, PhD

Elizabeth Nelson, MD

Alex Bloomquist, PA-C

Brian Holsinger, D.O.

Barbara Susang-Talamo, MD

Carmen Peden, MDPhD

Yvonne Bontkowski, Mrs

Madison Jarboe, PA-C

Anonymous Petitioner

Timothy Teusink, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Hanna Klaus, MD

Elizabeth Larson, MD

Steve Hammond, MD

Myles Dotto, MD

Wendy smith, ACNP-retired

Andrea Miller, MD

Laura Downing, MD

Tamberly McCarus, MD

Theodore Rogers, MD

Thomas Sparks, MD

Alan Murnane, MD

Ronald Stoddard, MD

Katrina Conrad, MD

Ronald Young, MD

Thomas Perille, MD

Josette Chamberlain, MD

Nicholas Stephanoff, MD

Kathy OConnell, MD

Erin Luna, DO

Frederick Meier, MD,CM

Mary Jo Heinrichs, MD

Jeffrey Blake, MD, FACOG, FPMRS

Christi Redmon, MD

James Linn, MD

Marilyn Vanover, MD

Deborah Abner, LM

Mary Nickel, RN

Czarina Helf, MD

David Lee, MD

Damon Cudihy, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Robert Fortier-BensonMD, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Marcus Blass, MD

Susan Rutherford, MD

Thomas Gray, MD

Amanda Kieturkus, RN

Stephen Iacoboni, MD

Priscilla Burgmayer, CNM, APRN, MSN

Adam Van Lieshout, PA-C

Paul Carpentier, MD, CFCMC, MD, CFCMC

Mary Witzlib, RN

Milinda Morris, MD

Claudia M, LPC

Anonymous Petitioner

Anthony Graziano, MD, MA

Donna LaFontaine, MD

Kirby Plessala, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Steven Braatz, MD

Debora Boucher, APRN-FPA, CNM

Julie Webb, MD

Jessica James, RN

Anonymous Petitioner

Murray Joseph Casey, MD, MS, MBA, PhD, FACS, FACOG

Julie Gallenstein Julie, RN

Jerry Wittingen, MD

Dirk Carlson, MD

Brian Crisp, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Clint Leonard, MD, FACOG

Emily Peters, MD

Richard Hrezo, CRNA

Patricia Kenney, RN

Larissa Meyer, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Korine Tyree, BSN RN PHN

Samantha Doty, PA-C

Lewis Bradley Fields, MD

Lance Plyler, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Kathy Mercer, MA, MSN, RNC-OB, CNM

Edward Hall, MD

Gina Bednar, RN, MSN, CPNP

Kathleen Menown, RN, MSN

Anonymous Petitioner

Vivien Wong, MD

Sarah Junk, RN

Richard Duffey, MD

Betsy Manor, MD

Barbara Davenport, CNM

Janean Doherty, RN

John Andrews, DVM, PhD

Janet Romano, MD

Larry Stutts, MD FACOG

Jaime Payne, MD MPH

Robb Hicks, MD

Pay Suhr, RN BSN

Kathleen Raviele, MD

John L Worden IV, MD

Angela Jackson-Lopez, MD

Sandra Hudson, RN

MARY SCHWARTZ, RN

Paul Dassow, MD

Gloria Sacco Sacco, PA-C

John Stallworth, M.D.

Carley Robertson, MD

Jennifer Anderson, MD

Sharai Amaya, MD

D. Lee Goldstein, MD

Catherine Stark, MD

Federico De Miranda, MD

Anonymous Petitioner

Tiffany Gebel, Md

Christopher Fyock, MD

Lhissa Santana, MD

Faith Daggs, MD

James M Anderson, Md

Donna Ezell, RN

Jodi Gehring, MD

Matthew Sellers, MD

Joy Draper, MD, FACOG, FAAFP

Kristen Bracy, MD

Jonathan Alley, DO

Kay Chandler, MD, FACOG

Mary Bentley, RN

Yan-Hua Liu, MD

Mary Grace Lasquety, MD

Bryan Casey, D.O.

Ingrid Skop, MD

Dorian Goldstein, MD

Jay Erickson, MD

Jeffrey Chandler, DDS

Esther Street, M.D.

Anonymous Petitioner

Karen Rial, Medical Staff

WILLIAM BAKER, MD

Janet Hurley, MD, MBA

Lisa Rogers, MD

Linden Bousaid, APNP

Patti Giebink, MD

Kate Plaut, RN

Anonymous Petitioner

Charissa Wright, APRN

Teresa Mote, RNC, OGNP

Heidi Vicari, RN

Audrey Tool, MD

Paul LaRose, MD

Jason O’Grady, MD

Flora H, RN

Leslie Weeber, RN

William Kelley, MD

Jenny Cole, APRN