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A California urologist said on Twitter that she will not attend this year’s American Urological Association annual meeting in San Antonio due to the state’s restrictive laws on reproductive rights.
Ashley Winter is a 39-year-old urologist and sexual medicine specialist in Los Angeles. She was scheduled to present her research at a conference in May, but announced via X (formerly Twitter) that she didn’t feel safe coming to the state.
Winter explained that she had a history of miscarriages and was trying to have a second child with her husband.
“Sometimes, if you have a miscarriage, which is considered a spontaneous miscarriage, you need to have procedures to terminate the pregnancy. We are all very aware that if you are in Texas, sometimes those procedures are not available. I just don’t feel comfortable going there, “she says.
Urologist researcher Casey Seideman wrote an open letter to the American Board of Urology asking them to withdraw from this year’s meeting in Texas because of the state’s strict laws on reproductive rights. The letter was widely signed by doctors and urologists, but the board’s response was less than impressive.
“Their response was, ‘Oh, we recognize your concerns. Thank you for letting us know your concerns. But that’s about it,'” Winter said.
U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Texas’ sweeping abortion ban to take effect in 2022 Roe v. Wade. Texas lawmakers determined that exceptions would be allowed for abortions if they save the woman’s life or prevent a serious threat to her physical health. Winter said these exceptions are unreliable.
“Unfortunately, what we’ve learned over the past two years is that women have to be in critical condition to get this care. They’re told they’re not sick enough,” she said.
The urologist added that she hopes other organizations will consider withdrawing from their meetings in Texas.
“This is not about not supporting the people of Texas, but really making a statement about the risks that people have to face with the current climate out there. That includes people who visit the state and women who live in the state,” she said.
Winter said there is a strong desire to move the conference out of states that ban abortion.
“Why are our dollars supporting the Texas economy when state legislators are directly attacking the practice of medicine?” she asked.
Winter hopes the announcement of her decision will inspire others to pause before scheduling meetings and vacations in states where reproductive care is limited and unavailable.
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