Physicians Urge Oklahoma Governor to Veto Onerous Abortion Reporting Bill

“We ask you to veto this intrusive bill because it would damage the physician-patient relationship and make it more difficult for women in Oklahoma to receive the best medical care.”

New York, NY—Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH) and the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) urged Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today to veto the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act (HB 3284). If enacted, the bill would require a woman seeking an abortion to answer a battery of questions about her personal life, medical history, and reasons for seeking an abortion.

In their letter to Gov. Henry, PRCH and OSMA express concern that HB 3284 would not improve patient care, and could interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.

PRCH board chair Suzanne Poppema, MD, notes: “This is yet another attempt to stop women from having abortions under the guise of concern for women’s health. The decision to end a pregnancy is one best left to a woman and her family, in consultation with a trusted physician. Politicians—whether in Oklahoma or elsewhere—should not intrude in this caring professional relationship.”

The text of PRCH and OSMA’s letter to Gov. Henry is included below.

Dear Governor Henry:

As representatives of thousands of physicians in Oklahoma and beyond, the Oklahoma State Medical Association and Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health stand together in opposition to House Bill 3284, the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act. We ask you to veto this intrusive bill because it would damage the physician-patient relationship and make it more difficult for women in Oklahoma to receive the best medical care.

HB 3284 would impose burdensome reporting requirements on physicians and the patients they serve. The bill would require doctors to ask a woman a list of 38 questions before performing an abortion and then document her answers. Several of the questions probe the intimate details of a patient’s personal life for no medical reason. These questions, crafted by the state, do nothing to improve or protect patient care or the physician-patient relationship. Instead, they undermine the public’s trust in doctors and add delays to patient care.

Physicians already must handle a great deal of paperwork and reporting requirements from insurers and various government agencies. Imposing new, extensive, and extraneous reporting requirements for abortion will not improve patient care; indeed, this legislation will only reduce the time physicians are able to spend with patients.

The Oklahoma State Medical Association is comprised of 4,600 physicians and aims to advance the science and art of medicine for the betterment of Oklahoma physicians and the public we serve. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health is a doctor-led national advocacy organization. We use evidence-based medicine to promote sound reproductive health policies.

Please veto HB 3284, the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act. Your veto will prevent further intrusion in the doctor-patient relationship in Oklahoma, thereby promoting patient care.

Sincerely,
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health
The Oklahoma State Medical Association

PHYSICIANS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT

Contact: Amanda Davis; 646-649-9927; 646-334-1388 (cell); amanda@prch.org

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Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health is a doctor-led national advocacy organization. We use evidence-based medicine to promote sound reproductive health policies. We believe in reproductive choice for everyone.