The decision to end a pregnancy is never an easy one. Protecting your health and legal rights is part of the responsible decision-making process. Care Net cares about your health and safety and wants to make sure you fully understand the abortion process before moving forward with your decision to have one. As part of your pre-abortion support services at Care Net, our staff will review all your rights and responsibilities to ensure you are fully educated on your choice. Among the rights afforded to abortion patients:
- You have the right to a licensed physician. Only licensed physicians in the state of New Mexico are permitted to perform surgical abortions. Doctors can work for abortion clinics, hospitals, or in private medical practices.
- You have the right to know the physician’s history. This includes information about whether the physician performing your abortion has ever had his or her professional license suspended or revoked. You also have a right to the malpractice lawsuit history of any physician or medical provider involved with your abortion procedure. All of this is public information.
- You have a right to know the physician’s malpractice insurance standing. We strongly advise against allowing a physician or other medical practitioner to perform your abortion if they do not have medical malpractice insurance coverage. Under New Mexico law, physicians in the state are required to have the minimum level of medical malpractice insurance. If medical malpractice or negligence results in your injury or disability following an abortion, you have recourse.
- You have the right to demand quality care. This includes the right to immediately be transferred by ambulance to the nearest emergency room or trauma center for treatment if you suffer complications during an abortion procedure. It is best to work with a physician who has admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. It can boost your chances of receiving prompt care in the event of an emergency during your abortion.
- You do not have to sign away your rights. Never sign a form or other statement that says you will not hold the doctor or abortion clinic liable for any serious injuries or death from the abortion procedure. Reputable clinics and providers would never ask you to sign these kinds of statements.
- You have the right not to have an abortion. It is illegal in Albuquerque to force someone to have an abortion. Regardless of your age, or your marital status, no one has the legal authority to force you to have an abortion if you do not want to have one. If someone is trying to force you to have an abortion, reach out to our pregnancy help center and one of our staff members can advise you on the next steps you must take to protect your right to choose.
- You have the right to change your mind. Sometimes women change their minds at the last minute about having an abortion. That is perfectly OK. You should never be shamed for making a last-minute decision not to terminate your pregnancy. Even if you are already prepped for the surgical procedure, you cannot be forced to go through with it if you change your mind. If you are having a medical abortion and have only taken the first dose of the two-dose regimen, you can use this abortion pill reversal method to try to stop the effects.
Minors are not required to obtain parental permission before having an abortion. If they choose to have a medical or surgical abortion and experience complications, it is important to tell their parents or another trusted adult right away so they can receive follow-up treatment. Failing to treat complications from an abortion can be fatal.
While Care Net can advise you about your rights and responsibilities on abortion, we do not perform abortion procedures in any of our offices.
