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Leah Vanden Bosch, a Planned Parenthood Patient Advocate, spoke against the Life Amendment on Monday. Vanden Bosch said she’s from northwest Iowa originally but currently lives in Des Moines.

“As someone who needed access to an abortion in Iowa over three years ago, I am deeply opposed to SJR 2 and I beg for this offensive legislation to stop,” she said. “Abortion is not a political matter. Personal ideologies are being inserted into government and healthcare with this bill.”

Vanden Bosch said she is “required” to detail her “private medical history” in order to defend her right to an abortion.

“You will never understand how inappropriate this feels while speaking with my state senators,” Vanden Bosch said. “I don’t want a medical pass for my abortion, I want folks to understand how personal and significant of a decision abortion is.”

She was 28 years old when she found out she was pregnant. Vanden Bosch said she was recently single, had just started a new job and in a good place with her recovery.

“I could not have been more horrified at the thought of continuing with a pregnancy,” she said.

Her first thought was wanting to die.

“But in all actual reality, I didn’t eat for three days,” she said. “I was terrified something would get in the way of my abortion. I would have terminated my pregnancy one way or another. My eating disorder couldn’t handle the pregnancy, my bank account couldn’t handle the pregnancy and despite my (pro-life) upbringing, I knew I could still make the next-best decision for myself.

“A person does not lose value when they become pregnant and a politician does not have a voice or authority in the matter of an unplanned pregnancy. I am so tired of continuing to argue my worth and the quality of my life with my state lawmakers. Please stop spending your time interfering with the healthcare of Iowans and do not pass SJR 2 on to committee.”

Author: Jacob Hall

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