This commentary was authored by Dr. Simha Ravven, president of the Vermont Medical Society; Dr. Rebecca Bell, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter; Dr. Katie Marvin, president of the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians; and Dr. Lisa Catapano-Friedman, president of the Vermont Psychiatric Association.
Let Vermonters continue to make their own health care decisions — vote yes on Article 22.
As a result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more and more people across the country are confronted with an abrupt loss of the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and the freedom to make their own health care decisions.
In contrast, Vermonters have the opportunity to enshrine our right to personal reproductive liberty into the Vermont State Constitution by voting to adopt Article 22 on our November ballot. By voting yes, we are not changing current medical standards, rather protecting all Vermonters’ fundamental right to make our own health care decisions without governmental interference.
For over 45 years, Vermonters have had the personal autonomy to make family-planning decisions regarding abortion along with other decisions regarding pregnancy, infertility treatment, contraception, sterilization, and the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. This must continue.
The Vermont Medical Society, the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, and the Vermont Psychiatric Association support the passage of Article 22 so that Vermonters can continue to make their own health care decisions. This proposed amendment to the Vermont Constitution would protect the legal right of every Vermonter to the full range of evidence-based, reproductive health care in alignment with their needs and goals.
Terminating any pregnancy is a personal decision that needs to be made between an individual and their health care professional. If adopted, this proposed constitutional amendment will safeguard the sanctity of the relationship between a patient and their health care professional and will keep reproductive health care decisions as private discussions between patients and health care practitioners.
Opponents of the Reproductive Liberty Amendment have spread misinformation that implies reproductive health care in Vermont will change as the result of the passage of Article 22. Rest assured: it will not.
Instead, Article 22 protects the patient-physician relationship from future changes in political whims or pressures.
Colleague Dr. Lauren MacAfee, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Vermont, with over 10 years of training and clinical practice in contraception, miscarriage management and abortion, responds to these claims:
“The term ‘abortion up until birth’ is a political term, not a medical term. There is no such thing as an abortion up until birth, and it is irresponsible to imply otherwise. These words have been weaponized by anti-abortion activists to spread misinformation and control people’s bodies. Health care providers practice medicine under the guidance of both ethical principles and practice regulations at the individual, clinic, hospital, state and federal level. There currently are no state restrictions on the practice of abortion in Vermont and, simply put, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment will not change how medicine is practiced in Vermont.”
Every person should have the right to control their own health care decisions, including the right to abortion care. As physicians and physician assistants, we strongly believe abortion services should be treated like any other health care service. We stand by our colleagues and our patients in asking Vermonters to pass the Reproductive Liberty Amendment.
The Vermont Medical Society, the Vermont chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Vermont chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Vermont Psychiatric Association support the passage of Article 22 so that Vermonters can continue to make their own health care decisions.
With more and more states blocking individuals’ rights to health care and in light of the Supreme Court opinion, we urge Vermonters to vote in November to support Article 22, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, that will amend the Constitution of the state of Vermont to ensure that every Vermonter’s right to personal reproductive liberty is protected into the future.
