staying open. you sure you want to keep fighting to stay open? we sent one of our show s producers, kelsey, b to missouri this week. just as this new rule from the state was being implemented. these women thursday and on monday were traumatized at the fact that they had to get undressed to get a pelvic exam to get an ultrasound. how do you ex-main that to a patient who is so traumatized? basically, we let them know that we do not agree and the state of missouri is requiring us to do this to them and have every right to contact who they feel they need to contact to voice their opinions, but we make it very clear this is not our doing, don t want to violate your rights, don t want to make you do an unnecessary invasive procedure that we couldn t do at this moment, and most women are quite disturbed at that. but they re pretty remarkable because they re actually apologizing to my doctors, said i m sorry you have to do this to
don t need. thursday was the first day last visit, first day that we had to start doing mandatory pelvic exams. we re not satisfied with the fact that we do the pelvic exam when it s medically necessary. they want us to do the pelvic exam theree, four, five, six b, seven, days before they get the procedure. they want us to do pelvic exams on medication abortions. none of that is medically necessary. my doctors have spoken to that over and over again and will continue to speak to that, how that s not medically necessary. one doctor who works at that clinic tweeting this on monday of this week. today i was forced by the state of missouri to perform an unnecessary pelvic exam on a patient terminating her pregnancy for a fetal anomaly. she is heartbroken over her situation and i was forced to do an invasive, uncomfortable, exam. it broke me as a physician to do this to her. so they re basically daring the doctors at this clinic, oh, you don t want to do that to your patients? oh, you d
the state has started doing, what the state government is now doing, is that they ve told the doctors at that one remaining clinic that they must do a second medically unnecessary invasive pelvic exam on every woman before she was before she is allowed to start the punitive three-day waiting period that is required of all women who need an abortion in missouri. i mean, at that point, you re literally just going in to sign a consent form and meet with the doctor before they have to send you home to wait for three days. only now, before they let you go from that first appointment, you must, by order of the state, take off your clothes and submit to an intrusive vaginal inspection that you do not need and your doctor does not want to give you. this is the latest thing the state of missouri is doing as of this week as they re trying to force the last clinic in the state out of business. i ll tell you this, what the women are mostly upset about these last few days is having to get a pel
me. and that s shameful. and really, it is just so inappropriate to subject somebody to a pelvic exam which includes putting your fingers and other instruments in the vagina when really that gives no medical information. it doesn t do anything to help the patient or myself choose what is the best approach for their abortion care. and i can say that of the physicians who ve had to do that in the last few days, they have just been devastated. first, to have to explain to patients that this is the requirement. to explain that they don t feel that there s any medical relevance to the exam and then to ultimately end up with but if you want to continue with care, we have to do it. you know, for patients who ve had a history of trauma, for example, i mean, it s just retraumatizing them all over again. the state continues to put us into a position where we are really choosing between what we know is medically and ethically appropriate, and i would put avoiding unnecessary pelvic exams square
i ll tell you this, what the women are mostly upset about these last few days is having to get a pelvic exam that they don t need. i m hoping abortion do not become illegal in the state. if missouri goes dark, we will still find a way to service our patient in whatever capacity that we can service them in. it would be a very sad day if missouri goes dark. but i hope it doesn t. i hope that whoever is reading the case and looking at the case sees the bigger picture. it s not about whether you agree with a woman right to get an abortion. it s a right it s the point that you agree that she s human. our special report tonight from the state of missouri, where the republican-controlled state government there has become a point of national focus as they try to not only ban abortion in that state, but they try aggressively to close down the state s last remaining clinic where abortions are provided. well, while we await a judge s