I’m writing to express my support for Pat Ryan for Congress in CD 18 and Josh Riley for Congress in CD 19. Voting Democrats into Congress this midterm is crucial to codify into law the provisions of Roe v Wade – to keep abortion safe, legal, and accessible to all women in need. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group, while the rates of abortion steadily declined from 1973 to 2020 (think contraception), 25% of women will still have an abortion by the end of their childbearing years - due to unintended pregnancies, pregnancies resulting from rape and pregnancies that become unviable at some point.
 

My best friend’s daughter became pregnant two years ago with an ectopic pregnancy. One out of every 50 pregnancies is ectopic, that is, the egg becomes fertilized outside of the uterus, such as in one of the fallopian tubes or in the cervix. An ectopic pregnancy is NEVER viable; the fertilized cells must be evacuated.

Fortunately, this happened while Roe v Wade was still national law. Her ectopic pregnancy was removed. But there are states now where abortion has been outlawed and that includes for ectopic pregnancy. An untreated ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency, threatening the life of the mother. If my friend’s daughter had not had the necessary abortion to terminate her unviable pregnancy, she might not be alive today…and she would not be mother to a beautiful, healthy one-year old baby.

 Democrats are fighting to preserve abortion rights and will codify Roe v Wade into law at the federal level. If Republicans win the majority, they will ban abortion nationwide. I’m voting blue this year to protect women’s health and wanted pregnancies. I hope you will, too.