Dr. Erica Kreller, a Phoenix-area experienced OB/GYN, warns against the grave health risks associated with Proposition 139, a measure that would dismantle vital health and safety standards. The proposal, which is framed by abortion advocates as a safeguard for abortion access, does the opposite by removing protections for women, particularly younger patients. Dr. Kreller believes Prop 139’s vague wording would allow unqualified individuals to perform abortions and eliminate necessary regulations, putting women’s health at extreme risk. She states in AZ Free News:
Prop. 139 prevents any law or regulation that could be interpreted as a “barrier” to abortion. Even commonsense regulations such as regular inspections of facilities, or a waiting period before undergoing an abortion, would be cast aside. These precautions are simply designed to protect women’s lives and well-being. Worse yet, and perhaps most concerningly, the amendment is deliberately vague in its definition of who can perform abortions, labeling them simply as “health care professionals” without specifying their qualifications. This could allow unlicensed and unqualified individuals to perform the procedure.
Citing examples from states like Michigan, Dr. Kreller describes how healthcare laws for pregnant women were decimated after similar measures passed, resulting in increased medical complications. She writes:
Prop. 139’s proponents argue they want to make abortion “safe and easy,” but the reality is the opposite. Removing essential safety standards does not make abortion safe; it makes it deadly for women. Stripping away regulatory oversight doesn’t expand women’s rights—it puts their lives in jeopardy.
Additionally, Dr. Kreller highlights the increased dangers of late-term abortions, which are more likely under Prop 139 due to its removal of safeguards. Without regulations, women’s health risks multiply exponentially as pregnancies progress. Kreller points to research confirming the severity of these dangers:
This amendment would likely lead to an increase in abortions performed later in pregnancy, where the risks to a woman’s health grow exponentially. According to research from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a woman’s risk of death increases by 38% each week after eight weeks of pregnancy.
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