 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Bonnie Scott Jones, JD, Domestic Program, The Center for Reproductive Rights, 120 Wall Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10005, 917-637-3600, BJones@reprorights.org and Tracy Weitz, MPA, Center for Reproductive Health Research & Policy, University of California San Francisco, Box 0744, 3333 California Street, Ste 335, San Francisco, CA 94143-0744.
This paper examines current anti-choice efforts to use health care regulations know as Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws. TRAP laws regulate the medical practice or facilities of clinicians who provide abortions by imposing burdensome requirements that are different and more stringent than regulations applied to comparable medical practices. These excessive and unnecessary government regulations have public health implications. Often promulgated under the guise of promoting women?s health, TRAP laws may increase the risk of abortion by delaying women?s entry into care. Additionally they reduce overall quality of care by severely compromising other rights such as a woman?s right to medical records privacy. An analysis of differing TRAP laws, including a detailed discussion of the South Carolina TRAP law, provides a greater understanding of the potential public health impact of these regulations.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Abortion, Access to Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.