Myths And Facts: The Reproductive Health Act

• Myth: The Reproductive Health Act would force religiously affiliated hospitals to provide abortion services.
  Fact: The Act does not change state and federal laws that allow providers to refrain from performing abortions based on their moral or religious beliefs.
• Myth: The Reproductive Health Act would allow unqualified medical professionals to provide abortion services.
  Fact: The Reproductive Health Act contains strong protections for women by allowing only qualified medical professionals, with the proper training and who are operating within the scope of their practice, to provide abortion services. It is professional misconduct for a medical professional to offer care outside the scope of his or her practice. New York law currently subjects medical professionals to penalties for practicing outside the scope of their practice.
• Myth: The Reproductive Health Act would legalize abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.
  Fact: The Reproductive Health Act is consistent with the tenets of Roe v. Wade, and would allow abortion up to the time of viability and after that, only if there is a threat to the woman's health or life.