OBGYN Sen. Marshall: Ignore myths from left on ectopic pregnancy, more. Here are the facts

(Topeka, KS, July 25, 2022) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. – an OBGYN who delivered more than 5,000 babies – penned an op-ed for FOX News dispelling some of the myths being pushed following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In particular, Senator Marshall highlights the misinformation surrounding ectopic pregnancies saying in part,

“Make no mistake about it, an ectopic pregnancy is always a life threatening condition, and the reality of being sued for delay in treatment far outweighs the mis-guided cry of those who say physicians will “withhold treatment… Life of the mom will continue to be honored, family planning clinics will continue and Plan B contraception remains over the counter. Beyond this, we remain committed to working with Democrats – and will continue to fight for more and earlier access to prenatal care and proper nutrition, especially in rural and urban settings, as well as child care and attending to all the social challenges a young single or married mom faces – before and after delivery of a baby.”

You may click HERE or scroll below to read Senator Marshall’s op-ed in its entirety.

Supreme Court abortion ruling: Ignore myths from left on ectopic pregnancy, more. Here are the facts

By: U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D.

July 25, 2022

FOX News

“Don’t let the sun set on an ectopic pregnancy” was an axiom we were taught the first week of OB-Gyn residency – it’s as true today as it was before and after Roe, and after Dobbs. Make no mistake about it, an ectopic pregnancy is always a life threatening condition, and the reality of being sued for delay in treatment far outweighs the mis-guided cry of those who say physicians will “withhold treatment.”

Like all OB-Gyns, including prolife OB-Gyns, I commonly treated ectopic pregnancies as well as miscarriages. Neither are an abortion, and the myth that this will change after Dobbs is simply inconsistent with any clinical reality. Furthermore, it goes without saying, every state’s trigger laws allow for exceptions to save the life of the mom, debunking another outright lie. To say otherwise is simply fear mongering.

Other myths are out there, like “Dobbs is a federal ban on abortions,” which we all know is not true. What the Dobbs decision did was simply return this emotional issue back to state legislators directly elected by the people.

There are those who say women won’t have access to abortions. This is untrue as even the New York Times estimates that after overturning Roe, abortions will decrease by only 14 percent. It’s also worth noting that after Texas passed its heart beat law, abortions fell barely 10 percent.

Another myth? Those on the left say, “overturning Roe is devastating to women’s health.” They imply carrying a baby to term is more dangerous than an abortion. Using their logic, should we abort every baby? Should we stop all childbearing? Presenting abortion as the ‘life-saving solution’ for women facing challenging pregnancies is a warped view of health care. It belongs in a culture that does not value human life. And it denies the modern medical science that can bring both mother and baby safely through even a high risk pregnancy. Finally, in absolute terms, trauma, suicide, and drug overdose kill more women of child bearing age.

The final myth is yet another fear driven claim that Republicans want to end contraception and family planning. Nothing could be further from the truth. In my first year of residency, after I delivered several babies from 13 year old moms, I made a commitment to provide easy access to contraception and early prenatal care – regardless of a woman’s ability to pay in any community I practiced. And, that’s why I set up and volunteered at prenatal and family planning clinics in residency, and why I oversaw three community health centers in rural Kansas, and accepted everyone who sought treatment at our prenatal clinic. And, this is why every year we fight for robust funding for community health centers and health departments, as well as nutritional programs like WIC.

Without a doubt, women with miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies will be treated in every state without exception. Life of the mom will continue to be honored, family planning clinics will continue and Plan B contraception remains over the counter. Beyond this, we remain committed to working with Democrats – and will continue to fight for more and earlier access to prenatal care and proper nutrition, especially in rural and urban settings, as well as child care and attending to all the social challenges a young single or married mom faces – before and after delivery of a baby.

Republican Roger Marshall, M.D., represents Kansas in the U.S. Senate. Previously he was the congressman for Kansas’ 1st District. Prior to Congress, Dr. Marshall was a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist in Great Bend, Kansas. He received his M.D. at the University Of Kansas School Of Medicine in 1987.

Background:

Recently, Senator Marshall served as Ranking Member for a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on abortion laws following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and returning the issue of abortion to state governments. You may click HERE or on the image below to watch Senator Marshall’s full opening statement.

In April 2022, Senator Marshall questioned Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, about the Biden Administration’s efforts to reduce safety protocols for chemical abortion drugs. You may click HERE for video of Senator Marshall’s questioning.

In June 2022, Senator Marshall offered an amendment to the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act that would require FDA-approved chemical abortion drugs to be prescribed only after a patient has been diagnosed using a medical imaging device. Senator Marshall’s amendment would have ensured appropriate use and informed consent before receiving abortion drugs. The amendment was modeled after Senator Marshall’s Ultrasound Informed Consent Act.

Upon entering the U.S. Senate in January 2021, Senator Marshall’s first bill was the Protecting Life in Crisis Act. This legislation would prohibit any funds that are authorized or appropriated for the purposes of preventing, preparing for, or responding to the COVID–19 pandemic, domestically and internationally, from going toward abortions or abortion coverage. Additionally, Senator Marshall is an original cosponsor of the following pro-life bills:

• Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act: This bill requires that appropriate care be given to any child who survives an attempted abortion. The bill also allows federal murder charges to be brought against anyone who intentionally kills such a born-alive child.
• Prohibiting Federal Emergencies for Abortion Act: The bill would prohibit the declaration of a Federal emergency relating to abortion.
• Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act: This bill would exclude elective abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from the Title X family planning program.
• Life at Conception Act: This bill ensures that current right to life protections granted by the 14th Amendment are truly guaranteed to all human beings, including unborn children at all stages of development. The Constitution already guarantees the right to life in the 14th Amendment, this bill simply enforces the law and ensures those same protections are extended to the most vulnerable members of our society.
• Defund Planned Parenthood Act: This bill would ensure that federal tax dollars are not going to Planned Parenthood or any other organizations that perform abortions. Funds for these services would continue to be provided to entities that are eligible and not performing abortions, such as community health centers.
• No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act: This bill would codify the Hyde Amendment, prohibiting Federal funding for elective abortion, as a permanent, government-wide prohibition. It also would restrict Obamacare’s premium tax credits from being used for elective abortion coverage on the exchanges.
• Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: This bill prohibits abortions after 20-weeks, a point at which research has shown unborn children feel pain.
• Down Syndrome Protection Act: This bill prohibits the performance of an abortion being sought due to the unborn child having Down syndrome.
• Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act: This bill would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from conducting or supporting any research involving human fetal tissue that is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion.
• Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act: This bill would prevent labeling changes for already approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via telemedicine; and prevent the FDA from approving any new chemical abortion drugs.
• Women’s Public Health and Safety Act: This bill clarifies the authority of states to exclude providers of elective abortion like Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program. Planned Parenthood receives about half a billion dollars in tax-payer funding per year, most of which comes from Medicaid.
• Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA): Currently, only 11 states ban abortions that are sought on the basis of sex. PRENDA would combat the worrying trend of sex-selective abortion in America by making it a federal crime to abort a child based on his or her gender.
• Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act: This bill would require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 15 miles of their practices.  The bill also requires abortion centers to meet state-mandated requirements for ambulatory surgery centers.
• Parental Notification and Intervention Act: This bill prohibits a person or organization from performing, facilitating, or assisting in the performance of an abortion on an un-emancipated minor without first complying with parental notification requirements.
• Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act: The bill would codify an expanded version of the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy, also known as the Mexico City Policy. Specifically, the bill would ensure that no funds be made available to foreign non-governmental organizations, multi-lateral nonprofits, and quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations that perform abortions, counsel for abortion, lobby for abortion policies or expanded access, or provide funding or resources for any entity, including domestic non-governmental organizations and non-profits, that perform abortions abroad.

###