Maria Boylan

My name is Dr. Maria Boylan. I am a family medicine physician in New Hampshire and I am in strong support of HCR 7, recognizing abortion as a critical component of comprehensive reproductive health care. Since the implementation of the fetal protection act in 2021, state law has lacked affirmative language that tells the residents of this state, physician and patients, that they have a right to abortion-care in New Hampshire up until the limits set in place three years ago. This fact, coupled with the fall of Roe in 2022, our patients have not only been left with feelings of confusion and uncertainty about their right to make reproductive health care decisions, they have been fearful that their rights will be further restricted as a result of lacking state and federal protections. The patients of this state deserve better. One of the greatest honors of my life has been caring for my patients. Being a family practice doctor, I have the privilege of caring for people from birth until death. Caring for entire families and multiple generations, watching them grow as well as helping them through their most difficult times. And for some women and families that includes making one of the most personal and complex health care decisions of their life - terminating a pregnancy. And though there are numerous reasons why patients choose to have an abortion or medically need to have an abortion, that decision is one that should rest solely between the patient and their healthcare provider. A decision that I know first-hand is never taken lightly, a decision that surely should not be influenced by actions taken by our elected officials. It is certain that restricting women’s access to safe and legal abortion services has irreparable health implications. Laws that restrict access to abortion do not result in fewer abortions, they instead compel women to risk their lives by seeking out delayed or unsafe abortion care. According to the world health organization, 23,000 women die from unsafe abortions each year and tens of thousands of women experience significant health complications from delayed or denied abortion care. More recent studies estimate that banning abortion in the US would lead to a 21% increase in the number of pregnancy-related deaths overall. We can’t allow “back alley” abortions to become the only way for women to terminate a pregnancy, or further limit access to reproductive care by forcing our patients to seek care out of state. Being a good physician means protecting my patients in a variety of ways, and that includes keeping the government out of our hospitals and exam rooms. Health care should not be dictated or influenced by politics. Abortion care is healthcare and every patient has the right to quality, safe, and comprehensive reproductive care. For these reasons, I urge you to support CACR-23 to ensure that our patients, your constituents, have a right to access abortion-care in New Hampshire. Thank you for your time and consideration of my testimony. Sincerely, Maria Boylan, DO Board Certified Family Physician