Hawley Presses OB/GYN on Whether Men Can Get Pregnant During Senate Abortion-Drug Hearing
During a Senate HELP hearing on chemical abortion drugs, Sen. Josh Hawley pressed Dr. Nisha Verma whether men can get pregnant; she declined to answer.
Overview
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned Dr. Nisha Verma, an OB/GYN expert called by Democrats, during a Senate HELP Committee hearing on chemical abortion drugs on Capitol Hill.
Hawley repeatedly posed a yes-or-no question about whether biological men can become pregnant; Verma declined to provide a direct yes-or-no answer, citing patient identities and concern about politicization.
Hawley framed the question as scientific, referencing recent Supreme Court arguments about transgender athletes and arguing that clear biological definitions matter for policy and legal protections.
The hearing focused on the safety and regulation of mifepristone; Hawley raised adverse event statistics and said resolving basic biological questions is necessary for evidence-based medicine.
Video of the exchange circulated on social media, sparking criticism and debate; senators disagreed over terminology and the role of gender identity in reproductive-health policy discussions.
Analysis
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Sources (3)
FAQ
The hearing focused on the safety and regulation of chemical abortion drugs, specifically mifepristone.
Hawley framed the question as a scientific one to establish clear biological definitions for policy and legal protections in reproductive health.
Dr. Verma declined to provide a direct yes-or-no answer, citing concerns about patient identities and the politicization of the issue.
Cisgender men cannot get pregnant as they lack a uterus and ovaries, but transgender men who retain these organs can.
History
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