News

Lack of abortion access troubles Guam's 1st female governor

Posted June 07, 2019 7:00 am

By CALEB JONES

HONOLULU (AP) - The first female governor of Guam says she's concerned that a lack of abortion access in the U.S. territory means women will be forced to seek illegal or dangerous alternatives.

The last abortion provider in the heavily Catholic Pacific island retired in 2018, and no other doctors are willing to perform the procedure.

That's forcing women seeking to end their pregnancies to fly thousands of miles - a costly and sometimes prohibitive step.

Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero says officials are trying to recruit doctors to Guam to fill the gap.

Guam law allows abortion, but doctors also have the legal right to deny services unless it's a medical emergency.

Guerrero says she's nervous about what's happening in states like Alabama and Missouri where tough abortion restrictions are being enacted.

This undated photo provided Thursday, June 6, 2019, by the Office of the Governor of Guam shows Guam Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero. The first female governor of Guam says she's concerned that a lack of abortion access in the U.S. territory means women will be forced to seek illegal or dangerous alternatives. (Office of the Governor of Guam via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers Nation and World News

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.