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March 5, 2008

Good afternoon. My name is Moira Gaul. I have a Masters in Public Health focused on maternal and child health and I serve as the Director of Women's and Reproductive Health at the Family Research Council based in Washington, D.C. I've worked at a pregnancy resource center for two years overseeing client services including: counseling; education; healthcare and community referrals; and, the coordination of medical services offered at that center.

I oppose Senate Bill 690 and, in my testimony, offer a public health perspective against the passage of this bill.

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) play a critical role in referring women to needed community, healthcare, and support services. These referrals represent a core function of PRCs. Vital linkages to community agencies and programs have a significant impact on increasing positive women's health outcomes across the country.

Healthcare referrals to free clinics, local and state health departments, community health centers, private medical practices, and social services for healthcare sign-up, all aid to increase the following: prenatal care; ongoing obstetrical care; screening for and identification of risk factors affecting pregnancy and postpartum outcomes; and, testing for sexually transmitted diseases (which can affect pregnancy and future reproductive outcomes). Public health research has shown and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that access to each of these services is necessary to reduce adverse maternal, reproductive, and child health outcomes.

Referrals to community agencies such as Women Infant Children (WIC) expose women to key education interventions spanning child birth, breastfeeding, nutrition, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), unintentional and intentional injury prevention, child safety seat instruction, and parenting.

Pregnancy centers also refer women with children for healthcare addressing immunization, testing for developmental milestones, and child safety, to name a few.

Client referral to community or agency programs serve to enhance women's psycho-social and physical health outcomes whether they are pregnant or not. The following programs facilitate moving away from destructive behaviors, incorporation into emergency care, and the building of healthy relationships and positive development: drug and alcohol addiction support and services, detoxification centers, social support networks, housing shelters, abused and battered women's shelters, shelters for runaway and homeless youth, support programs for women who want to leave prostitution, education programs, and job skills training programs.

By the sheer numbers of women they serve annually, PRCs undergird essential community health services, and by doing so, enhance the well-being of women and children. Furthermore, school nurses and community agencies often have a reciprocal referring relationship with PRCs knowing that girls and women they send will receive accurate information and appropriate help.

Senate Bill 690 would discourage women from visiting PRCs, and undermine the referral process by eroding the trust women place in pregnancy centers to direct them to valid and effective care. Ultimately, the bill is likely to have a significantly negative effect on women's health outcomes in the state of Maryland.

In closing, as a public health professional, I strongly believe that women deserve to be fully informed with accurate information including potential risks before making decisions regarding their reproductive and maternal health. Both are improved when women are fully informed about prenatal development and care, antenatal risk factors, and pregnancy and postpartum outcomes, including the physical and psychological effects of abortion.

As part of my testimony, I am submitting a short paper detailing existing research on the physical and psychological effects of abortion.

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