Cameron Cantelmo

I strongly oppose this legislation. Doctors who provide reproductive healthcare services should not be given an “out” to deny those services to patients seeking care. Furthermore, the bills definition of “artificial conception” is too broad. Many prescriptive medications which fall into this category can also be prescribed for the treatment of acne, endometriosis, and can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Certain contraceptive devices are used to prevent or reduce the risk of transferring STDs. Furthermore, the definition of abortion, while exempting ectopic pregnancies or “products of a spontaneous miscarriages, is still too narrow. There are numerous other emergency medical conditions that could require a late stage termination of a pregnancy. This bill could allow doctors to deny care, potentially life saving care, for patients seeking treatment of these conditions. Not only that, but the definition of provider is far too broad. How could a pharmacy technician know the intended use of a medication that could be used as a contraceptive but could also be used to treat other medical conditions. Only the doctor and patient know that information, yet this bill would allow pharmacy techs to refuse to fulfill a prescription based on their “hunch.” The definitions of this bill are poorly defined, the bill itself is short-sighted, and I foresee this bill having a detrimental impact on the quality of care people receive in New Hampshire.