AAPLOG Board Member Dr. Catherine Wheeler Testifies Before Colorado Legislature on Common Sense Abortion Bill 

On March 11th, the Colorado State House Health and Human Services Committee voted 8-4 against a bill that would require the licensing and inspection of abortion clinics that perform second or third trimester abortions. AAPLOG Board Member Dr. Catherine Wheeler, who testified in favor of this bill, said in an op-ed for the Colorado Springs Gazette that she was “shocked to learn that Colorado does not regulate or inspect abortion facilities, unlike facilities where all other surgical procedures and deliveries are done.” 

“The complexity and risk of induced abortion rapidly increases with gestational age and size of the baby,” Dr. Wheeler explained. “After the first trimester, life-threatening hemorrhage and uterine perforation with injury to surrounding organs occur much more frequently. One of every 10 second trimester surgical abortions results in complications, with 1.7% life-threatening. This is far higher than procedures done in regulated ambulatory surgical centers.” 

Wendy Smith, a retired acute care nurse practitioner and co-founder of AAPLOG’s Colorado chapter, argued in a letter to the editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette: “This bill was not about the morality or legality of abortion. It is to ensure public safety.” 

Among those testifying in favor of this bill was a family member of Lexi Arguello, an 18-year-old girl who passed away from an amniotic fluid embolism during a 22-week abortion at a Colorado Planned Parenthood just last month. The family member shared a letter from Lexi’s grandfather and lamented that the teenager had gotten the “silent siren” treatment from Planned Parenthood — a known tactic in which the abortion clinic calls an ambulance for a patient facing an emergency but specifically requests that the ambulance does not sound its siren on the way to the clinic in order to avoid alerting pro-life activists and sidewalk counselors. Obviously, this tactic can cause critical delays in care — delays that may have cost Lexi her life. 

We are dismayed that the Colorado state legislature would vote down even such a basic regulation on induced abortion (a clear indication of their prioritization of elective abortion above the safety of women) and proud of the tenacious work of our Colorado members, who are advocating for life in such a hostile state. 

Our members continue to prove the importance of having life-affirming medical voices in their state houses.  If you are interested in learning more about how you can advocate for life in your state, please reach out to Rebecca Weaver, our Director of Advocacy and Policy, at director@aaplogaction.org.  We have training and resources available to help you use your voice to protect your patients.