HOUSE VOTE ON 20 WEEK BAN PUTS POLITICS ABOVE THE HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE
CONTACT: Kate Londen
202-965-7700 x 115
klonden@urge.org
Washington, DC May 12, 2015 — In response to the upcoming vote in the House of Representatives on a ban on abortion after 20 weeks, Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, issued this statement:
“Once again, anti-choice politicians are putting the country’s most pressing issues on the back burner to vote on yet another bill aimed at restricting access to basic healthcare. This ban on abortion after 20 weeks would be a dangerous law keeping young people from accessing the healthcare they need. Personal medical decisions like this are best left to the pregnant person in consultation with those they trust, not politicians. Young people, in particular, are more likely to face barriers to accessing safe abortion care and may be forced to delay an abortion until later in pregnancy because they need time to assemble the funds to pay for an abortion or obtain available transportation to reach a provider.
We don’t need new bans that prevent people from getting the healthcare they need. If politicians truly care about the well-being of young people they should focus on passing laws that help them afford higher education, provide comprehensive sex education in schools, and help young people start healthy families when they are ready to parent.”
