{"id":323426,"date":"2024-12-20T16:48:07","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T22:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=323426"},"modified":"2024-12-23T07:13:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T13:13:01","slug":"arizona-governor-reporting-abortion-statistics-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/arizona-governor-reporting-abortion-statistics-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona gov says requiring the reporting of abortion statistics is an ‘attack on women’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Arizona governor Katie Hobbs has called for a repeal of the state’s abortion reporting law, claiming \u2014 inexplicably \u2014 that giving people as many facts and statistics about abortion as possible is an “attack on women.”<\/p>\n

Hobbs statement came as the state’s Department of Health released its annual abortion report<\/a>. The report gives a variety of data surrounding abortion in the state, including the number of abortions by mother’s age and race, methods of abortion used, gestational age of child, reported maternal reasons for abortion, and more. Absolutely no personal or identifying information is shared, and women do have the option to refuse to answer the questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis report is an attack on our freedom, is unacceptable, and must be brought to an end,” Hobbs said in a statement<\/a>, adding, “The government has no place in surveilling Arizonans’ medical decision-making or tracking their health history.”<\/p>\n

This seems like a very odd statement to make, given that the Arizona Department of Health tracks many things, and even urges participation in the Arizona Youth Risk Behavior Survey<\/a>, which asks minors questions about their sexual identities, as well as personal habits such as smoking, vaping, and weight loss methods. The website states, “Survey results<\/a> are used by school districts, communities, organizations, policy makers, and government agencies, to understand and meet student needs, identify emerging health issues, and obtain funding for programs that support teen health.”<\/p>\n

But when it comes to abortion \u2014 and abortion alone \u2014 Hobbs claims, “Starting a family is a sensitive and personal experience for a woman and her loved ones; there should be no room for government surveillance and publication of that decision. The existence of a government registry of pregnancies grossly infringes on our right to privacy. In Arizona, we trust women and doctors, and I will continue to fight to make sure our laws reflect that fact.\u201d<\/p>\n