Hawaii is now the latest state authorizing registered nurses to perform abortion instead of doctors after Gov. David Ige signed the legislation on Monday.
According to Fox 5, a previous Hawaii law states that only doctors are allowed to perform "early, in-clinic abortions." This was reportedly due to the lack of attending physicians, especially in several smaller islands. Residents seeking an abortion provider will have to fly to Honolulu to have one.
The islands of Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai reportedly were lacking of "local abortion care providers." Even on the Big Island, only the west side of Hilo has access to abortion services.
Doctors from other islands had to fly to Maui to provide services. This was halted by travel restrictions imposed by governments following WHO's declaration of a coronavirus pandemic. Chairperson of the Hawaii Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Dr. Reni Soon said that "abortion care" was not available on the island for several months.
"This act will enable people who desperately need reproductive health care services to receive health care from very high quality health care providers, including advanced practice registered nurses, where they need it, when they need it, and ... in their own communities," said Director of the Hawaii State Center for Nursing Laura Reichardt during the bill signing ceremony.
Further details in the report said that the recently signed legislation will allow "advanced registered nurses" to practice abortion procedures from prescribing drugs that will terminate pregnancy to performing aspiration abortion, a minor surgery wherein a vacuum is used to empty a woman' uterus. Both can be carried out by nurses during the first trimester of pregnancy but with the aspiration abortion performed only in accredited hospitals, clinics, or in a nurse's office.
Qualifications of said "advanced practiced registered nurses" authorized to terminate embryos are those that have at least reached master's degree with training and certification in diagnosis and medical prescription.
The legislation signed by Governor Ige also stated that there were studies that could vouch on the safety and reliability of abortions performed by "qualified licensed health care provider." The service, according to the legislation, is as safe as those performed by doctors.
Other voices in opposition -besides those who are staunchly anti-abortion- to the legislation have expressed concerns that these advanced nurses have not had the same training as doctors.
On the other hand, advocates claim that these nurses have already been providing similar complicated procedures like inserting an IUD, a birth control procedure where the inserted device prevents pregnancy by stopping sperm from reaching the eggs.
Other states that have the same legislation are California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia.
Hawaii reportedly is the first state in the nation to allow abortion on demand in March 1970, years before abortion was legalized in the U.S. via Roe V. Wade. The law enacted that time states that, "the State shall not deny or interfere with a female's right to choose or obtain an abortion of a nonviable fetus or an abortion that is necessary to protect the life or health of the female."
