Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. The typical procedure takes between 7 and 15 minutes. While it’s sometimes referred to as a “surgical” procedure, there are, in fact, no incisions. The in-clinic procedure is 14 times safer than childbirth, and even safer than common procedures like colonoscopies or having a wisdom tooth removed.
Almost 40% of people who have abortions in Minnesota choose medication abortion, which requires the patient to take two pills. The risks associated with medication abortion are almost zero, yet our laws restrict access to medication abortion as well. Even when they are medically trained to prescribe this medication, advanced-practice clinicians, like nurse midwives or nurse practitioners, would be charged with a felony crime if they provided medication abortion care.
All health care is subject to risk, but the laws passed to restrict abortion care are about politics, not safety or medicine. These laws are designed to restrict access to abortion care, intimidate health care providers and patients, and increase costs for care.