SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Lifting My Voice for Right to Contraception at Virginia State House
Written by Reyna Han, AMSA Member at VCU School of Medicine Chapter
On January 16, 2025, I had the opportunity to speak in front of the Virginia House of Delegates Health and Human Services committee on behalf of the Reproductive Health Access Project in support of bill HB1716, the Right to Contraception. This bill seeks to protect an individual’s right to obtain and use contraceptives under Virginia state law. After learning about the opportunity to speak in support of the bill that morning, I was hesitant at first as this is unlike anything I had done before. However, when the committee chair called for supporting comments, I realized that this was an opportunity to use my unique position of privilege as a medical student to help amplify the voices of many that do not get the opportunity to express their opinions and would be greatly impacted by the passing of this bill. As a result, I went up and spoke to the committee about how as a medical student, I learned about the multitude of ways that oral contraceptives could be used not just for reproductive health, but also for the treatment of endometriosis and prevention of cervical cancer amongst other uses. As someone who has taken an oath to do no harm, it is important for me to be able to have all the options for care available for my patients to provide them with the best care possible.
Although I spoke for less than one minute, I realized the impact that my words had when the sponsoring delegate, Marcia Price, came out after to thank us for speaking in support of the bill. It was incredibly touching to see how something that seemed small to me made such an impact on the delegate and others that will benefit from the passing of this bill. Seeing everyone else speaking in support of the bill and interacting with the sponsoring delegate, I felt like a part of something larger than myself. This opportunity was a wonderful experience to learn about how I can work outside of the clinic to help support and advocate for the wellbeing of my patients.
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*Note: an excerpt of this Spotlight is included in AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews #37: AMSA in DC, News & Resources to Share! Feb 1, 2025
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