On September 24, the U.S. House Values Action Team (VAT) hosted a panel organized by AAPLOG Colorado featuring four former abortionists, AAPLOG members and OB-GYNs Dr. Catherine Wheeler, Dr. Patti Giebink, Dr. Kathi Aultman, and Dr. Anthony Levatino. House VAT Executive Director Charmaine Yoest offered opening remarks for the event, and AAPLOG Action Executive Director Rebecca Weaver moderated the panel.
In their opening statements, the panelists shared the stories of how they stopped performing abortions. Dr. Catherine Wheeler recounted how she came to a realization of the moral reality of induced abortion while she was performing what became her last one. Dr. Patti Giebink shared that she worked at Planned Parenthood for three years and went through a list of lies that Planned Parenthood tell about induced abortion – such as that all women present to abortion clinics of their own free will, that all women who obtain abortions are firm in their decision, and that all women have obtained counsel from their friends and family as well as fully informed consent before going through with an induced abortion. She also rebutted the common pro-abortion slogan that abortion must be kept legal to preserve the “doctor-patient relationship”, stating that that did not match her experience at Planned Parenthood, in which she was prevented from developing a strong relationship with patients; rather, she felt she was more treated as a “technician”, performing abortions and never seeing them again.
In sharing her story, Dr. Kathi Aultman described the cognitive dissonance she experienced during the period in her career in which she performed induced abortions, stating that she based the value of the preborn child on whether he or she was wanted. She also pointed out that even when she was performing abortions, she clearly understood the difference between miscarriage management and induced abortion. Dr. Anthony Levatino shared that he performed over 1,200 first- and second-trimester abortions as part of his upstate New York practice before becoming committed to pro-life values. He clarified for the Congressional staffers that were present that after stopping performing induced abortions, he was still able to intervene to treat pregnancy complications, even if that meant a pre-viable intervention, but he never had to intentionally kill his fetal patient to do so.
The physicians also shared their advocacy work combating extreme pro-abortion ballot initiatives in their states. A theme in these physicians’ concerns is that these proposed amendments would eliminate commonsense health and safety standards for the practice of induced abortion, risking the lives of not only preborn children but women as well. Dr. Aultman is a part of Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4. Dr. Levatino helps lead Arizona Physicians Against Prop 139. Dr. Giebink is faithfully exposing the dangers of South Dakota’s Amendment G as the leader of Doctors for Dakotans, and Dr. Wheeler is helping lead opposition to Colorado’s Amendment 79 by highlighting the harms it would cause patients. If you are in one of these states and would like to get more involved, please email Rebecca Weaver, AAPLOG Action executive director, at director@aaplogaction.org.
We are proud of our members for sharing their stories and advocating for life-affirming medicine on Capitol Hill. You can watch the full event here.
