My name is Susan Cahill. I am a retired family practice physician assistant who provided first trimester abortions in Kalispell as part of family practice starting in 1976 until my office was destroyed in 2014.

I worked for and with Dr. James Armstrong for 25 years. Dr. Armstrong vowed to offer abortions as part of his family practice when and if it became legal, after witnessing women dying from illegal abortions daily while he was in medical training in New York City. 

I made the same commitment as a first-year physician assistant student in Queens General Hospital in New York City, when I cared for young inner city girls, 10 and 11 years old in labor and screaming for their mothers, after having been raped by their stepfathers, or brothers or a family friend, when abortion was still not legal.

I am proud of my work. I am also proud of having been a small part of the signature gathering for CI-128, the, citizen’s initiative that will provide a constitutionally protected right to reproductive choice into the Montana Constitution.

Because of this bill you will hear lots of lies about abortion from those claiming the moral high ground, including our governor. So here are the facts:

Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures in the United States. 81% of all abortions occur at nine weeks of pregnancy or earlier. Of these, 63% are medication abortions, which use medicines to induce bleeding. It is like having a miscarriage and it can be done in the privacy of a woman’s own home. 

94% of all abortions are done within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. 3% of abortions are done at 16-20 weeks, and 0.9% are done 21 weeks or more. These late term abortions are done due to severe fetal anomaly or threats to the life of the mother. All of these procedures are done because of the expressed wishes of the woman, and her family if that is her situation. Every abortion decision is as individual as the woman.

I have known women who have picketed my office because I offer abortion services, then come to me for an abortion when they found themselves in a challenging situation in their life. I understand this. Life is hard, and liberty and the pursuit of happiness is essential and personal. In our hearts, we all know this to be true.

 Because of the radicalization of the Republican Party, not only is abortion under attack but also access to IVF and contraception. The ability to make decisions for ourselves and our life keep getting more difficult. 

Not a single Republican candidate in Montana and at the national level will stand up and vote to protect women’s choice. 

 Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Jon Tester and Monica Tranell have all committed to protecting a women’s right to reproductive choice. Please vote this fall for women and families to have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, for themselves and their families. Please vote for choice.

Susan Cahill is a retired family practice physician assistant. She lives in Kalispell.