As a physician who provides abortion care, I was shocked by Sen. Cathy Young's lack of knowledge of the barriers a New York woman faces when seeking an abortion ("Gender looms as issue in election," Aug. 12).
While the senator says she has never heard from a constituent who has struggled to obtain an abortion, doctors in our state frequently see women who had sought earlier abortions but faced delays caused by travel and financial hurdles. The Guttmacher Institute reports that nearly three out four rural women, such as those in Sen. Young's rural county of Cattaraugus, need to travel at least 50 miles.
Sen. Young should speak to women before making sweeping generalizations about the obstacles they face. They may not be sharing their struggles with her, but they are certainly sharing them with my colleagues and me.
Lin-Fan Wang, M.D.
Reproductive Health Advocacy Fellow
Physicians for Reproductive Health
New York City