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For Immediate Release: June 28, 2024
Contact: [email protected]

15-Week Protection Allows Doctors to Use Clinical Judgment

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Late Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a legal opinion making clear that Arizona’s 15-week abortion limit does not impede a pregnant woman’s ability to receive treatment when experiencing a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or another health emergency. The state’s ‘life of the mother’ exception adequately protects pregnant women in the state and doctors should continue to treat women who experience a miscarriage or health emergency, according to the Democrat attorney general.

In the guidance Mayes says, “the definition of ‘abortion’ excludes the use of any means … to terminate an ectopic pregnancy” or to treat a miscarriage. She also states, “Once a treating physician forms a good faith clinical judgment,” the statute “does not require her to wait for a patient to deteriorate or inch closer to death.”

The Democrat attorney general’s opinion mirrors guidance from Florida and Texas, and court decisions from the Texas and Idaho supreme courts. All pro-life laws across the country have an exception for the life of the mother and allow doctors to act during an emergency.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Western Regional Director Adam Schwend commented:

“Attorney General Mayes is bucking the political rhetoric of others in the Democrat party by issuing guidance to protect women from abortion misinformation. Every pro-life law in the country including Arizona’s allows pregnant women to receive emergency care. Joe Biden and the abortion lobby have been putting women in danger by causing confusion on this fact to justify an agenda for all-trimester abortion that Americans do not support.

“We call for more bi-partisan Med Ed efforts throughout this country to educate the public so that pregnant women do not delay seeking care and doctors are fully aware they must continue to rely on their medical judgment. More Democrats should be willing to step forward like Attorney General Mayes and put the truth and safety of women ahead of an extreme abortion agenda.”

In March, South Dakota become the first state to pass a Med Ed law to educate doctors and the public on the state’s ‘life of the mother’ provision. More recently, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration issued guidance to protect women under the state’s newly enacted heartbeat law and the Texas Medical Board finalized a rule directing doctors to rely on their medical judgement.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.

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