An excerpt from our Medical Editor in Chief Dr. Cedric Dark : As you read our August issue, may also notice a theme emerging from some of the other pieces in this issue: they touch on controversial issues. This is both a symptom and side-effect of our current social, political, and professional climate. The topics discussed in this issue are meant to highlight the work, and the worries, of our profession. No matter which side you take, each topic affects us all professionally and personally. Our diversity of experience and opinion is what makes emergency medicine, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and America itself enriching. I hope that you will enjoy reading this issue, and most of all, learn something new from what you find inside.

First, abortion is not a constitutional right. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say we can end the life of our citizens with abortion. Second, why do you think we will see an increased number emergency department (ED) visits related to pregnancies? We always have women who come in just to verify their pregnancy or who have complications with their pregnancy. This decision to return abortion laws back to the individual states will make no change in ED visits for the reasons you stated in the first part of your article. I agree with some increase visits of complications from procedures outside your state if your state restricts them. However, in my county there are no abortion clinics within 100 miles and we have been dealing with a very small number of ED visits (Level I trauma center and main obstetrician-gynecologist hospital for the area) related to patients with abortion complications for over 25 years.

Statements such as crisis pregnancy centers are “meant to dissuade patients from seeking abortions through misinformation and intimidation,” show an obvious bias of the writer of the article. While I have no doubt this may occur at times, one could make an equal argument that Planned Parenthood, the largest provider for abortions, does the same for persuading women to have an abortion.

[ACEP Now] should try to stick with medical facts and not biased opinions attempting to worry inexperienced emergency physicians. Mentioning there will be a small uptick in visits from abortion problems from procedures done out of your area is reasonable, but most of the rest is our standard operating procedure and nothing new for emergency physicians.