A large group of Florida physicians recently united to oppose the state’s Amendment 4 initiative, warning voters about its potential impacts as it heads to the ballot in November.
Florida’s Amendment 4, also known as the Right to Abortion Initiative, is sponsored by the Sarasota-based group “Floridians Protecting Freedom.” The amendment seeks to end the state’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion rights in Florida’s constitution. While some physicians support the amendment, others have begun to caution voters against it.
State physicians opposing the amendment primarily cite concerns over its “vague” language. Dr. Ana Garcia Iguaran, an OB/GYN and general practitioner at Mater Dei Clinic in Ave Maria, told the Diocese of Venice in Florida that the text is purposely “misleading” and would provide “unlimited, unrestricted access to abortion.” (RELATED: ‘All Of That Stuff Is Unacceptable’: Trump Declares Intent To Vote On Florida’s Abortion Amendment)
“The language in the amendment is purposedly misleading as to suggest that it will provide healthcare for pregnant women – anyone can get behind that,” Dr. Iguaran said. “Of course, pregnant women need healthcare! But that is not what this amendment means or would provide. It would provide unlimited, unrestricted access to abortion, even for young girls, without their parents’ consent. Abortion is not improving anyone’s life, certainly not the baby’s, and not the mother’s.”
The ballot initiative states that, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
Dr. Richard Sandler, who leads the “Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4” group, which includes hundreds of doctors opposing the change, also criticized the amendment as being “very deceptively worded,” according to the Florida Phoenix.
“It’s so brief. It’s so vague. So many terms undefined,” he said. “And there is so much money and deception that is behind it.”
Pro-abortion rights activists participate in the “Rally for Our Freedom” to protect abortion rights for Floridians, in Orlando, Florida, on April 13, 2024. Florida Rising, Floridians Protecting Freedom, and coalition partners officially launched the “Yes on 4” campaign. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Other physicians in the state have begun to warn about the potential repercussions for young girls. Dr. Stephen Hannan, President of the Southwest Florida Guild of the Catholic Medical Association, stated that the vague language of Amendment 4 would require young girls to notify parents but would not fully mandate parental “consent.”
“Simply notifying a parent does not mean consent is required, just that someone was notified,” Dr. Hannan told the Diocese of Venice in Florida. “And the ballot summary provides no stringent criteria for notification as proof of identification as a parent.”
Dr. Karen Liebert, an OB/GYN and Medical Director at Community Pregnancy Clinic in Sarasota, also added that the amendment’s vague language around consent could pose risks by allowing traffickers and abusers to “more easily coerce girls into abortions,” according to the Diocese of Venice in Florida.
“This would make abortion the only medical procedure on a minor that does not require a parent’s consent in the state of Florida,” Dr. Liebert said. “And there are other dangers for girls. Traffickers and abusers will be able to much more easily coerce girls into abortions, since the parental consent requirement is removed with the passage of this amendment. This is a real issue. Even worse, with no doctor involved, it’s easier for an abuser to get someone, any loosely defined ‘healthcare provider,’ to say an abortion is needed.”
The push for Amendment 4 came after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law in 2023, ultimately making abortions after six weeks illegal in the state.
Sandler and his group reportedly plan to create billboards featuring photos of physicians advocating for a “No on 4” vote, along with messaging on social media and outreach to churches, the Florida Phoenix reported.
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