I am a doctor and had a general practice in South China, Maine, from 1988 until 2004. As part of that practice I provided outpatient gynecologic care including family planning and referral for pregnant patients.

For women with unplanned pregnancies I was free to provide unbiased information on options for pregnancy management based on my confidential discussions with each individual woman. If a woman did not want to continue a pregnancy I made the appropriate referrals, just as I did for those women choosing to continue with their pregnancies. In all cases these discussions and decisions happened at the beginning of pregnancy. The idea that a woman or any physician would consider the abortion of a healthy late-stage pregnancy is a myth.

The ability for every woman to have this full range of choices for herself, without any outside interference, needs to be a right protected under Maine’s Constitution. Every woman’s health, and in some cases her life, depends on this protection.

I support an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Protect Personal Reproductive Autonomy. This amendment needs to go out to referendum so that Maine voters can add it to Maine’s constitution. The protection of this fundamental right should not be subject to change every two or four years depending on who is governor or the make up of the Legislature.

Robert P. Hayes, D.O.

Winslow