I am so angry. And sad. And did I mention angry?

Virginia is regulating abortion clinics like hospitals.

One commenter on that article said:

I don't see how this legislation restricts access for women to abortions. It simply requires that abortion clinics meet the same medical guidelines as hospitals, depending on how they are classified. It in no way infringes on anyone's right to an abortion. In fact, Roe vs. Wade specifically leaves the regulation of abortions to the States.

 Well, charleyp1, I'll tell you how this restricts access. Five clinics in the state currently meet the standard. First trimester abortions are generally done without general anesthesia. First trimester abortion is one of the safest  surgical procedures that are performed anywhere, when performed by a licensed medical practitioner. It is a safer procedure than:

• Root canal
• Colonoscopy (which is done under general anesthesia)
• Vasectomy (which is done under general anesthesia)
• Endoscopy (which is done under general anesthesia)

 But those procedures are allowed to be done in a regular doctor's office. Dentists, Urologists, Proctologists, and Gastrologists do not need to have hospital standards to perform these surgeries. They don't, for example, need to have access for ambulances.

In Virginia there are currently 22 clinics at which abortion, A LEGAL PROCEDURE, can be obtained.

Under the new law, only 5 of those clinics will be able to continue to operate.

Let me make this clear, THIS LAW WILL NOT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS. Abortion rates remain steady no matter how difficult safe, legal abortions are to obtain. What this law will do is make it more expensive to obtain an abortion.

charleyp1 further says:

I for one applaud this effort. After the medical horror/freak show in Philadelphia in which an abortion doctor left the surgical procedures to his nurses and had pilles[sic] of fetal body parts scattered about his office and storage freezer, I think a little regulation of this nearly unregulated industry is in order.

 charleyp1, abortion is already highly regulated.  licensing boards, the Board of Health, Obstetrics Boards, all oversee the OB/GYNs who perform abortions. The Philadelphia incident was an UNLICENSED person who was performing ILLEGAL late term abortions. Desperate women, who could not obtain legal abortions, went to him. Virginia's new law will increase the likelihood of a Philadelphia incident happening here in Virginia.

I want to thank Senator Mark Herring for standing up for women.

If you are as upset by the outcome of this vote as I am, may I suggest that you