Health care providers need to consider how Vermont making “reproductive autonomy” a constitutional right would impact the delivery of health care in Vermont, a leading advocate of the right to life told hospital officials yesterday.
The following statement written by Mary Beerworth, executive director of Vermont Right to Life, was read to the University of Vermont Medical Center Board of Trustees at its quarterly meeting yesterday afternoon:
To The UVM MC Board of Trustees:
The Vermont Medical Society, in concert with Planned Parenthood of Vermont, strongly endorsed amending the Vermont constitution with the language of Proposal 5. The central phrase of the amendment proposes to guarantee all Vermonters the right to “personal reproductive autonomy.”
I encourage the UVM MC board members to contemplate how that guarantee, if successfully passed, will impact the delivery of health care services. And to further contemplate to what extent abortions, sterilizations, sterilization reversals, surrogacy, fertility treatments, gender reassignment surgeries and their reversals, and other reproductive services would become a priority of not only funding, but also the provision of care over other health care services that are not a constitutional guarantee.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mary Beerworth