Meeting Public Comments

Tammy Gertsen []

If you are so prolife, then end this AEA Bill taking away their ability to serve our children. You say you are giving the schools the ability to provide these services on their own but you do not have the provision in how they are to pay for these. If you are so prolife then stop this nonsense as the AEA's save lives. If you force them to use OUTSIDE of IOWA companies you are not for the lively hood of our Iowan kids.

Linda Larson []

I oppose HF 2031. This bill would bring biased and inaccurate information into our schools. It would be inconsistent with the values and opinions of many parents. Our students would not gain from what amounts to indoctrination.

Kimberly Noles []

It's a decision that should be made by a woman and her doctor, not by the government. It's a personal decision and the government needs to stay out of it. I can't believe we're having to fight this battle all over again

Andrea Greiner []

I am writing to outline my grave concerns about this bill and the inaccuracies it proposes to perpetuate.I am a board certified obstetrician gynecologist and an expert in embryology, fetal development and pregnancy. I watched the Baby Olivia video required in this bill, https://youtu.be/SlQOooYAs8?si=2bF5j3eOh4NiyRn2. There are at least 10 factually inaccurate statements in this video and I have outlined them below.1. Life does not begin at conception.2. The weeks of pregnancy in this video are misleading and not calculated the medically correct way we do in OBGYN. We calculate the weeks of pregnancy based on the time elapsed since the 1st day of a woman's last menstrual period, not after fertilization. So you need to add 2 weeks to all the weeks mentioned in this video. 3. A "heartbeat" cannot be detected at 3 weeks, which is actually 5 weeks after the last menstrual period (LMP). An ultrasound cannot detect fetal cardiac activity on ultrasound until 67 weeks after the LMP.4. Brain activity cannot be measured at any point in pregnancy as described in this video.5. A fetus cannot bring its hands together in the first trimester as mentioned in the video. This milestones doesn't occur until after birth.6. A fetus cannot hiccup in the first trimester as mentioned in the video. This happens in the late 2nd/early 3rd trimester.7. A first trimester fetus cannot suck its thumb or swallow.8. Fetuses don't make speaking movements. 9. No fetus born at 20 weeks after fertilization as survived. There are a very small number of babies who have survived after being born at 22 weeks of gestation, after the LMP.10. A human pregnancy is 10 months or 40 weeks, not 9 months as mentioned in this video.The Iowa Legislature needs to stop its overreach and stop telling educators how to do their jobs. I live in in the Iowa City School District and they use an objective, scientifically and medically accurate human development curriculum. This bill is substandard and should not be codified into Iowa law.

Becky Parrish []

This appears to be extremely prolife and biased by including a high definition ultrasound of every stage of fetal development and the other requirements. Are you going to incorporate normal reproductive health to include how to prevent pregnancy other than abstinence, such as contraceptive methods and the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections? I doubt it. Some kids are raised on farms and only think pregnancy occurs when their animals are in heat. We need to educate our children with factual information and to encourage them to see their health care providers (and parents) for guidance.Sex education has been proven NOT to encourage sexual activity. As a Womens Healthcare Nurse Practitioner it always amazes me the misinformation that go around among teens. They need accurate information but not extensive ultrasound information crammed down their throats in an effort to help your hidden agenda of preventing abortions.

Patsy Martinson []

I'm part of the Reproductive Freedom Majority in Iowa. Lying to children is WRONG. We all need privacy and true scientific information, along with real life considerations that includes health, spiritual relationship and, I'll say it again, privacy.

Floyd Gardner []

I find it hard to believe that a handful of people can gather in Des Moines annually and better decide that a women is less capable of deciding whether the women ought to be pregnant than the women and the medical community. You will collectively do as your party wants, but taking Iowa back to the 1950s is not the answer.

Rachel Henning []

I oppose this bill and the factual inaccuracies it would force down our students' throats.

David Alexander []

HF 2031 is a great idea. What we are doing now is NOT WORKING. Would also like to see discussion about the correlation of STD's, poverty in "out of wedlock pregnancy's", and mental health / depression issues related to those who use each other for sexual pleasure only. I love the politicized comments below who are against HF 2031. They have no contributing ideas. They just criticize thrown down propaganda and keep doing what is obviously "NOT WORKING". PLEASE PASS THIS BILL.