OB-GYNs decry the 'fearmongering' about Georgia's abortion laws: 'The lies are hurting women'
Charlotte Lozier Institute Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs Dr. Ingrid Skop is calling out the "fearmongering" and "lies" of the media that are hurting women who don’t understand new abortion laws.
A recent piece from ProPublica blamed the deaths of two Georgia women, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, following chemically induced abortions in 2022, on the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the state’s new abortion limits.
Since the story’s publication, many members of the Democratic Party, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have been attacking Georgia’s laws by suggesting they prevented the women in these cases from receiving lifesaving care.
Skop is one of multiple OB-GYNs Fox News spoke to who have criticized what they see as a misleading story being pushed by the media and Democrats.
"I was not surprised to see this pro-abortion media try to point the blame at Georgia’s pro-life laws, but, in fact, Georgia’s laws allow doctors to intervene to save the life of the woman," Skop told Fox News Digital.
She continued, "I think the focus of the Democratic Party upon abortion as an issue is only because the American people do not understand the laws. Many times, women are hurt by abortions. It is not necessary for women to live their best life. And, of course, it’s the fearmongering and lies that have led us to this place where we are today, where people even think there would be a reason to point at the law."
Skop emphasized that Georgia’s abortion laws, as well as those of every other state, are "very, very clear" that an abortion can be done to save the life of the mother. Further, she said the laws do not apply to abortion procedures such as dilation and curettage (D&C) if the unborn baby is already dead, as was the case for Thurman.
"The law states again that a miscarriage is an exception. It also states that an ectopic pregnancy is an exception. So we should never be reading of women not getting miscarriage care or not getting ectopic pregnancies treated because they are clearly an exception in every pro-life state’s laws," Skop said.
Skop said that it's the distortions of the laws that have done harm to women, not the laws themselves, leaving women like Miller unsure about seeking life-saving care and doctors unsure about giving it.
"The lies about pro-life laws are hurting women. The pro-life laws are not hurting women, but the lies are hurting women. Because in many cases, the women do not understand. And we’ve seen that sometimes even the doctors don’t understand. They’re not reading the law. They’re listening to the pro-abortion media," Skop said.
Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), made similar comments on "Fox & Friends Saturday."
"We are seeing the direct results of spreading lies and misinformation about these laws. Women are being harmed by that because they are delaying in seeking care. And so I think it's really important, no matter where somebody stands on the issue of abortion, we should all want women to have accurate information so that they seek care immediately if they're experiencing complications from things like these high-risk abortion drugs," Francis said.
ABC NEWS REBUKED BY PRO-LIFE GROUP, ASKED FOR CORRECTION OF ABORTION CLAIM BY DEBATE MODERATOR
In a statement to Fox News Digital, AAPLOG board member Dr. Susan Bane expressed outrage over Thurman's death and the media's lack of interest in properly informing doctors.
"If her care was delayed because of her physicians' understanding of the law, they were misinformed. This highlights the importance of giving medical professionals and the public accurate information about abortion drugs and abortion laws," Bane said.
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ProPublica defended their story in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "We stand by our reporting. The state’s committee of more than 30 experts concluded that the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller were preventable, a newsworthy finding. Our ongoing reporting is illuminating the challenges doctors face in caring for patients with pregnancy complications in states with restricted access to abortion."