January 21, 2019
House Human Services Committee
Testimony in Support of HB 1336
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, my name is Linda Thorson, and I am the State Director for Concerned Women for America (CWA) of North Dakota. We are the state’s largest public policy women’s organization and part of the country’s largest public policy women’s organization with over 500,000 members. We are here today on behalf of our North Dakota members in support of HB 1336, the Abortion Pill Reversal Informed Consent Legislation.
Because you will be hearing from, or have already heard from, those in the medical field in support of this bill, I will confine my comments to the issue of a woman’s right to be informed of this legal procedure.
Women are strong, capable, and should have the right to know, if they change their mind after taking the first abortion pill, that they may be able to reverse the chemical abortion procedure. Women should have the right to complete information regarding their health decisions, especially one as important as this one.
The concept of “choice” and “rights” must go both ways. Those who support a woman’s right to an abortion, should have no problem supporting a woman’s right to change her mind about an abortion.
Women not only have the right to be informed; they want to know their options. The APR Hotline Medical Director, who has overseen thousands of calls, stated that when women are given the opportunity to reverse the effect of the abortion pill, they are extremely grateful.
Women are being told that there is no possibility of reversal. A number of women have told the APR Hotline nurses, that when they changed their minds and called the abortion clinic personnel asking about reversal, they were falsely told that “there is no possibility of reversal.” We need an APR informed consent law to ensure that the patient receives accurate and complete information about the reversal protocol by abortion clinic personnel.
In closing, there are three things I respectfully ask this committee to consider. 1. A positive pregnancy test is one of the most life-changing moments for a woman, 2. We all sometimes make decisions that we wish we could take back, and 3. This is a historic opportunity for you to give hope to women desiring choices.
Concerned Women for America of North Dakota urges you support this pro-information, pro-woman bill that will change lives. We urge a “Do Pass” on HB 1336.