Legislators practicing medicine with no license

It’s distressing that the Iowa Legislature has taken it upon themselves to practice medicine when they aren’t physicians. They’re making medical decisions not only for themselves but for others, and they’re doing it without actually understanding what it is they’re doing. The "heartbeat" law regarding abortion is one example. At six weeks gestation, there is no actual four-chamber heart. There are cells passing electrical impulses that will become a heart, but there is no heart. If this embryo were to pass through the body as a miscarriage, it would not be a recognizable "baby." I had a miscarriage at approximately nine weeks and was unable to identify the embryo. At this point of pregnancy, there is no possibility of survival.

Then we have "trans care ban" for minors. Again, a medical decision made by legislators, claiming to protect children. Except, I thought you wanted to give parents "their rights." That was the phrase you used for the education debacle. But in this instance, you are removing the right for the parents to make this medical decision.

You’ve also decided to remove funding for rape victims to receive the morning-after pill or an early abortion. This ruling is a double-whammy: only those with enough income to afford the morning-after pill can get it.

But if I were to open a "medical facility" where I give advice without any medical training, I would be arrested. Well, unless I encouraged women to continue pregnancy, no matter the personal cost.

Brenda Mayer

Iowa City