0p-Eu submitteu to The Nouesto Bee

Publisheu }uly 6, 2u1S

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Foity yeais aftei Roe v. Waue, Ameiicans iemain shaiply uiviueu on the topic of aboition
anu women aie still fighting foi theii iepiouuctive iights. The Bemociatic Paity opposes
all effoits to unueimine legal aboition access, while many Republican leu state legislatuies
have iecently auopteu anuoi pioposeu the most extieme aboition iestiictions in histoiy.
0n Sunuay, }une Su
th
, 0hio uov. }ohn Kasich signeu a new state buuget that incluues seveial
anti-aboition measuies, incluuing iequiieu tians-abuominal ultiasounus, no access to
public hospitals shoulu aboition complications occui, loss of public funuing to iape ciisis
clinics who pioviue counseling about aboition to sexual assault victims, anu essentially
cuts $1.4million in feueial family planning funuing to Planneu Paienthoou. In Texas, uov.
Rick Peiiy has calleu a seconu special session of the legislatuie in hopes of passing a bill
that woulu ban aboitions aftei 2u weeks of piegnancy, place new iequiiements on the use
of aboition-inuucing pills, anu iequiie aboition clinics to meet the same stanuaius as
suigical centeis.

While the two paities will nevei agiee iueologically on the extent of aboition access, theie
is one thing they shoulu agiee on: access to accuiate, cuiient infoimation on aboition
pioceuuies in each state. This ought to incluue the age anu numbei of women unueigoing
a pioceuuie, by what methou, anu uuiing what stage of piegnancy. Befoie lawmakeis
auvocate foi extieme aboition iestiictions, oi lack theieof, they shoulu auvocate foi
ieliable, compiehensive uata that is piomptly maue available. Not only woulu this infoim
the voting public, it woulu infoim the lawmakeis fighting foi anu against such iestiictions.

I'm suie many woulu be suipiiseu to know that this type of iepoiting is not cuiiently
manuateu nationwiue. Accoiuing to the Kaisei Family Founuation, while most states uo
manuate uata gatheiing, some uo not. Auuitionally, some states that uo manuate uata
gatheiing still uo not shaie that infoimation with the Centeis foi Bisease Contiol anu
Pievention (CBC), incluuing Califoinia. When aboition infoimation !" iepoiteu to the CBC
by paiticipating states, it is often uelayeu. The most iecent iepoit by the CBC piesents uata
fiom 2uu9 anu most states still have not iepoiteu 2u11's infoimation.

Seveial states have begun to iequiie timely iepoiting on aboition statistics, but it is time
foi the national goveinment to take up the issue. As long as states have the powei to
iegulate aboition iights anu feueial uollais foi family planning, they shoulu be iequiieu to
upholu ceitain iepoiting iueals anu shaie such uata.

Repoiting is fai fiom the most impoitant issue in the uebate on aboition, but without
accuiate, cuiient iepoiting, infoimeu uecisions iegaiuing the most impoitant issues
cannot be maue. So lawmakeis, I uige you this: befoie placing extieme iestiictions on
aboition access, place ieasonable iegulations on aboition iepoiting.

Rachel Cox
Saliua Resiuent
Nastei of Public Bealth Canuiuate, 0niveisity of San Fiancisco