This is a procedure room at the Women's Medical Society in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Philadelphia District Attorney)
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (WUSA) - For women with money, they can always go outside the state to seek a legal, safe abortion. But for poor women, they won't be able to do that. And the people who provide these services are fearful of the consequences.
"Either you're in favor of safe, legal abortions, or, as in the case of these regulations and laws coming from the General Assembly, promote illegal abortions," says Rosemary Codding, a health educator who founded the Falls Church Healthcare Center ten years ago. She believes poor women in Virginia may not have access to safe abortions, or even contraception, if certain bills become law.
Del Bob Marshall's "Personhood" bill defines life as beginning as conception. It provides rights and privileges to unborn children at every stage of development. The IUD is most popular and cheapest form of contraception in the world, but Codding says a "Personhood" law would make it illegal, along with all abortions.
"An egg can be fertilized, and then it has a couple days to get there, to attach to the nutritive lining. An IUD would interfere with that," said Codding.
The "Ultrasound" bill , even modified, would still require a waiting period after viewing an ultrasound, puts up another unnecessary hurdle, Codding believes.
"As far as these legislators aren't M.D. And according to Virginia law, only doctors can practice medicine," says Codding.
Currently, the only state money spent on abortions is Medicaid funding for poor women whose fetuses have severe complications, thinks like the arms growing inward, or the skull not closing up, Codding explains. She's seen several horrific examples of deformed fetuses, but the abortion funding bill would eliminate that money to help poor women abort those deformed fetuses. And Codding fears women would once again resort to doing it themselves.
"They did it before Roe v. Wade and many with dire consequences. And we've come so far in forty years, what a tragedy to be going backwards again.
In 2008, there were 50 abortion providers in Virginia. Now are only 22. That has to do with new regulations Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law last year. It says abortion clinics have to meet hospital standards. As deadlines come to meet all of the requirements, more providers could close.
People who want to outlaw abortion think that's a good thing.
Written by Peggy Fox