Q: Why do we need this law?
A:
In 1970, when New York was one of the first states in the nation to expand access to safe and legal abortion, its law was considered an important step to protect women’s health and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Much has changed over the past 37 years, and while medical practice and policy have advanced, the law in New York has lagged behind.
New York law does not contain a health exception, or even any affirmative guarantee protecting women’s rights to make private reproductive health care decisions. We rely on the federal constitution to guarantee those rights, leaving us vulnerable to further erosion by the Supreme Court. This act will ensure that New York State continues to protect and respect women’s health and the right to make private reproductive health care decisions.
Q: What does the Reproductive Health Act Do?
A:
This Act protects a woman’s fundamental right to control her own reproductive health; it ensures that a woman will be able to have an abortion if her health is endangered at any point in her pregnancy; it treats regulation of abortion as an issue of public health and medical practice; and it guarantees everyone the right to use or refuse contraception.
