My Body; My Choice. Representation matters

House Floor Amendment 1 of SB 25, the Illinois Reproductive Health Act, provides that “every individual has a fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about one's own reproductive health”.

Why does this matter? The Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 establishes criminal penalties for performing an abortion. This and the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act have been deemed unenforceable by courts, BUT (and this is a big but) they have NOT been repealed. If Roe v Wade were to be overturned tomorrow these old laws are still present in our criminal code and could start to be enforced. SB 25 would repeal these two acts once and for all.

As a physician, I support bodily autonomy. Just as I support my patients ability to decide whether they want to go on dialysis or get a mammogram, I support their choice to get an abortion. It is my job to give the patient their choices, the risks and the benefits. It is not my job to tell my patients what they can and can’t do.

The government should not interfere with these decisions nor work to legislate abortion out of existence. Governments should have regulations that ensure patients have access to COMPLETE healthcare done by trained professionals in appropriate conditions. Regulations should should not, however, replace doctor expertise.

My anatomy, life experiences, and medical expertise made me believe that I had valuable information to share on the topic of reproductive health with my representative, so on April 24th I met with my state rep, Anthony DeLuca, to discuss why I thought he should support the Reproductive Health Act.

The meeting was scheduled through the Will County National Organization of Women and Mr. DeLuca’s office. It was supposed to be a meeting with just supporters of The Reproductive Health Act. However, when I arrived, there were multiple anti-choice activists present. State Rep DeLuca offered to cancel in anticipation of heated arguments, but I refused because he was leaving for Springfield and I wanted my position to be heard.

During the meeting, I presented many of the same facts and arguments I have here. I also asked him why he felt that he could interfere in decisions made between me and my patients. And his reply? “Because I’m in power- that’s why”. I was so taken aback. I remember tears coming to my eyes and slowly wiping them away only to have new ones redevelop. I couldn’t look anyone in the eye after being rebuked harshly. Each time I tried to talk my voice cracked with emotion. The emotion poured out of me because with that statement he reminded that white males in power nationwide were making decisions for all of us.

Many of the stories that have made it out into the media regarding late term abortions are a false narrative with no facts to back it up. It saddens me to see that my years studying to become a doctor can so easily be shut down with politicization, fake news and unscientific studies. It worries me that the people arguing about medical procedures have no medical background and are getting much of their information from paid lobbyists.

This happened four weeks ago, and until recently I hadn’t spoken publicly about it because I felt violated, embarrassed and attacked. I am seeing DeLuca deny what he said now that a local group has confronted him. DeLuca called the story “baloney”, said I was a liar, and stated that I should be ashamed of myself. Instead of providing any clarity on the situation, he continued to attack me and chose to turn this into a case of he said/she said.

In addition, Mr. DeLuca still has not said how he will vote on The Reproductive Health Act. My patients and I are still unsure if we will actually get to be in control of our bodies. We are having to rely on the whims of a man in power.

This is more than just a disagreement with a public servant who is working to flex his muscle. This is about believing women. Believing them when they tell you they can be in charge of their own bodies and believing them when they tell you that your words are hurtful. DeLuca has done neither.

This is not about being pro-life or pro-choice. I consider myself both. This is about ensuring that every human should have control over their body. This is about elected officials representing their constituents and listening to them over the lobbyists. This is about elected officials being honest, transparent and service minded.

It is our job to help hold our elected officials and participate in the democratic process. We need to place a call out to community members to replace the representatives that don’t support bodily autonomy. We need to call our legislators and demand that we be able to be in charge of our own body. We need to file witness slips. We need to vote. I will continue to speak out and ask for change, and I urge you to do the same.

Elections matter. Representation matters. We matter.