Will Abortion Law Force University of Iowa to Start IL Clinic?
With the new "heartbeat" abortion bill recently signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds, many are wondering if the University of Iowa will start an Illinois clinic?
The law goes into effect on July 1, and will require doctors to test for a fetal heartbeat, which if detected, means a physician cannot perform an abortion. Because of this, Iowa med students may not have in-state access to necessary educational training.
The Iowa City Press Citizen reports "if these abortion services are no longer provided in the state, UI's OB-GYN residency program will not be able to provide the full scope of family-planning training required to be accredited — at least not in Iowa."
This dilemma is causing some to speculate that the University might consider starting an Illinois clinic, because the University program must provide the training to maintain its status with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
The Press Citizen also points out that Iowa already has the 2nd fewest OBGYN doctors in the U.S. and that the fetal heartbeat law could make that even worse.
One thing is clear: the subject of abortion is complex, with many facets to consider. It is not a simplistic single-sided issue. As citizens we must take many things under consideration if we hope to reach a viable solution.
[source: Iowa City Press Citizen]