MANASSAS, Va. - An abortion provider in Manassas is closing at the end of the month, and while the facility has seen its fair share of controversy, the owner said that is not why they are closing its doors.
The owner of the Amethyst Health Center for Women did not want to talk on camera and asked that her name not be used. But she told FOX 5 in a phone interview that providing abortion services to women in Virginia is a "sensitive area" and that people often harass the clinic.
As for why she is closing her business, she said she is retiring.
"When you are in this line of work, you know, I have fought a battle for 27 years,” she said. “And I did it with love in my heart to help the women. But comes a time in life that you retire."
The Manassas clinic's closure will leave three abortion providers in northern Virginia. There are two in Falls Church and one in Alexandria.
The looming closure coincidentally comes amid a looming debate. At issue is what is officially called the "Rules and Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia" that could affect clinics like this one.
These regulations were put in place during the previous Republican administration of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.
Regarding abortion clinics, proponents say they will help protect women who want to have abortions.
"What those regulations are were a common sense agreement between a lot of different groups bipartisan approved,” said Stephen Phelan of Human Life International, a pro-life organization. “These same regulations apply to every clinic that does the same level of procedure. There’s no special targeting of abortion clinics here. So why the special exemption? What makes them so unique that they can’t meet the same health and safety regulations that protect women that other clinics have to meet?”
Opponents say they are specifically designed to restrict a woman's right to choose and their true goal is to close down abortion clinics.
The rules would force existing clinics to do things like build new hallways, awnings, change their parking lots, build new closets or new ventilation systems -- things that could cost thousands to millions of dollars.
"The regulations as they stand threaten to put out of business -- many of the women's health care centers in Virginia,” said Larry Roberts, an attorney for the Falls Church Healthcare Center. "We believe that they were politically motivated and ideologically driven attempts to close health care centers."
Meanwhile, we asked the owner of the Amethyst Health Center for Women if she was closing down because of this debate. She emphatically told us no and she did not have much of an opinion about it.
As for whether or not she is worried that the closing of her clinic means one less option for women in the area, she said, "Well, I worry for the patients. I feel sad that patients might have to carry on a pregnancy that was not intended. And also, every baby has a right to be welcomed into this world by loving parents."
The State Board of Health has voted to scale back Virginia abortion clinic regulations. The board voted 9-6 to give preliminary approval to amendments to the regulations Thursday.
Information used from the Associated Press in this report.