WASHINGTON, D.C. March 15, 2022 –The »Æ¹ÏµÎµÎapp (ACP) firmly believes that the Fetal Heartbeat Preborn Child Protection Act passed in Idaho yesterday violates patient autonomy and will egregiously impact the patient-physician relationship. The legislation, which is expected to be signed by the governor, will harm the ability of Idahoans to access needed reproductive health care services and deny patients the right to make decisions about their own health. Moreover, the legislation interferes with the patient-physician relationship by allowing family members of a patient who receives an abortion to take legal action against physicians who fulfill their obligations to their patients by counseling them on the full range of health care services available to them or providing necessary care to them. Instead of enacting laws that interfere with health care, we should be seeking ways to improve patient access to evidence-based care. ACP is committed to ensuring that our patients are able to access necessary services and that governmental interference does not prevent access to necessary care.
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About the »Æ¹ÏµÎµÎapp
The »Æ¹ÏµÎµÎapp is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on , , and .
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org