Pro-life, pro-choice groups clash over whether abortions are ‘essential’ procedures under stay-home order

mlive ^ | April 13, 2020 | Matt Durr

[Morgana]

As thousands of businesses in Michigan struggle with the idea of “essential vs. non-essential” services under the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order, the issue has made its way to the abortion debate.

Pro-life and pro-choice organizations in Michigan are engaging in a war of words on how important their respective missions are, and why their opponents should not be considered essential.

Genevieve Marnon, legislative director for Right to Life of Michigan, argues the organization’s goal is to save lives, which falls in line with the messages of state officials on essential work, and that pro-choice advocacy does not.

“That should be totally considered non-essential during a pandemic,” Marnon said. “The organization that ends lives should be non-essential.”

Marnon’s argument is based on a belief that abortions should be treated as an elective procedure. She contends that as doctor’s offices and hospitals across the state have stopped performing non-emergency surgeries, abortion clinics should also end non-emergency abortions for the remainder of the stay-home order.

“I wouldn’t expect Right to Life to understand that because they don’t provide medical services,” said Angela Vasquez-Giroux, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Michigan, in response.

Vasquez-Giroux argues that delaying an abortion can jeopardize a woman’s ability to have the procedure at all.

Still, Marnon says it’s not fair that some Michiganders are being forced to delay needed surgeries to preserve supplies and beds, but abortions are continuing.

“Real Michiganders are going without medical procedures during a pandemic to preserve resources,” Marnon told MLive.

Last month, Right to Life and the Michigan Heartbeat Coalition pushed pro to stop abortions during the stay-home order. The groups argued that abortions require use of vital resources and require doctors and patients to be close, which could contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

Marnon said abortion facilities are using personal protective equipment that could be going to hospitals that are helping patients with COVID-19. Because those resources are in short supply and very essential to hospitals, Marnon says abortion clinics should be shuttered for the time being in order to do their part in preserving resources.

Women who want an abortion can still get one, Marnon said, they’d just have to wait until the stay-home order is lifted. They’d essentially be making the same sacrifice as others who are in need of surgeries, Marnon argues.

The issue has been hotly contested across the country as more states move to stay-at-home orders. In Alabama, a judge ruled Sunday that the state cannot ban abortions during the pandemic. In Ohio, a judge ruled Friday that Gov. Mike DeWine’s abortion ban could not continue. DeWine has said the ban was originally issued to preserve personal protection equipment.

Vasquez-Giroux said medical facilities across Michigan are adjusting their practices to avoid wasting resources, while still providing essential medical services, and abortion clinics are no different. Vasquez-Giroux also said delaying an abortion even by a few weeks can cause more problems for women, whether that be financially, medically or otherwise.

“People should be able to get abortions when they want to get them. If you’re six weeks pregnant now and want an abortion, you should be able to get that now,” Vasquez-Giroux said.

For instance, Vasquez-Giroux said, if a pregnant woman is healthy and wants an abortion, but waits, she may not be able to get one in a few weeks if she contracts COVID-19.

“It’s pretty disgusting even for them to use a global pandemic where thousands of people are dying around us to push a political and dangerous agenda. Its opportunistic in the grossest possible way,” Vasquez-Giroux said. “I hope people know that they have options to get the care they need and that they should seek care from doctors, not from Right to Life.”

Marnon remained firm in her belief that Right to Life is providing guidance and resources to pregnant women in need who want to save their baby’s lives, while also obeying the state’s directives.

“Our work is very essential toward the goal of saving lives,” Marnon said.

In response to Marnon, Dr. Jen Villavicencio, an OB-GYN and family planning specialist who is also a lecturer at the University of Michigan said basic abortion procedures do not require the use of personal protection equipment that is in short supply. In an op-ed published by Bridge, Villavicencio explained how supplies are used in the majority of abortion procedures and her belief that closing abortion centers would not help alleviate the PPE shortage.

“This is because a medication abortion, which is offered through the first trimester of pregnancy (when 90 percent of abortions occur), can be accessed entirely without touch or need for any personal protective equipment (PPE).” Villavicencio wrote.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

[FamiliarFace]

My husband’s biopsy (canceled in late March, but scheduled 6 weeks before that) to decide whether he has cancer or not is considered elective in our state. Go figure. We hope the next date of May 1 will be allowed to go through, and we also hope that it is slow growing if malignant.