A Letter from Planned Parenthood

Dear Patricia,Disgraceful, dangerous, outrageous — I don’t know that words can describe just how awful the new anti-choice, anti-woman bill in Kansas truly is.But I know this: the bill is an outright betrayal of women — not just in Kansas, but everywhere. And we have to stop it. Please stand with us now.We’ve faced a lot of attacks in the last year and a half. Together, we have won some great victories and suffered some unfortunate defeats. But this bill is so extreme, it demands the strongest possible response.

What would this law do? First, it will force doctors to lie to their patients. Despite a complete lack of evidence, state lawmakers will require doctors to tell women seeking to end a pregnancy that an abortion will increase their risk of breast cancer.

Even though this will create additional stress for women who are already making what is, for many, a difficult decision. Even if the woman seeking abortion is a victim of rape or incest, her doctor will lie to her about her risk of breast cancer on the orders of Kansas lawmakers.

How awful. How cruel. Help us stop it.

And it gets worse. Under the new law, a doctor would be allowed to withhold information about possible fetal anomalies and health risks from a pregnant patient if the truth might lead her to end her pregnancy. Even if a severe complication means there is no chance of a healthy delivery. Even if carrying the pregnancy to term will cause permanent harm to the woman, or leave her unable to have children in the future.

And women who are lied to, women who are injured, will be forbidden from filing medical malpractice lawsuits — all because Kansas state lawmakers have decided to step into medical exam rooms and dramatically alter the doctor-patient relationship.

This bill is a betrayal of women — not just in Kansas, but everywhere. It tells women and their doctors that politicians know better than they do. We must stand up for women in Kansas: Tell state lawmakers in Kansas and beyond to stop playing doctor and interfering with women’s most private medical decisions.

This Kansas law is 70 pages of attacks on women’s health and their doctors, a bewildering set of new rules and restrictions meant to undermine women’s access to reproductive care. But beyond those restrictions, this law would strip women of their fundamental rights and radically change the doctor-patient relationship.

And you know as well as I do that this brutal attack on women’s rights and health won’t end in Kansas. If this bill becomes law, other state governments will rush to follow suit. Then, it’s only a matter of time before members of Congress who oppose women’s health push to make these unconscionable rules federal law.

Now is the time to stop these attacks. Now is the time to stand up for women in Kansas and beyond. Now is the time to speak out. Click here to take action.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support of Planned Parenthood and the women, men, and young people who rely on us to protect their access to affordable health care. You are amazing.