Pro-lifers in New Mexico have uncovered new evidence showing that a late-term abortionist and the University of New Mexico may be breaking the law when they are harvesting aborted babies’ body parts and using them for research.
The New Mexico Alliance for Life reports that it “has obtained details from a 2015 University of New Mexico research study describing … how aborted baby liver and kidney ’tissue’ [was] harvested from ‘six fetuses,’ only 15 minutes after the abortion procedure.” The university receives the aborted babies’ body parts from late-term abortionist Curtis Boyd.
“This leaves many alarming questions concerning how notorious late-term abortionist Curtis Boyd, still serves as a UNM ‘assistant professor,’ abortionist and tissue collection facilitator,” said Elisa Martinez, executive director of the pro-life group. “The total disregard for human life illustrated in this UNM Department of Pediatrics research study by Dr. Robin Ohls and team is both sickening and horrifying. Death row inmates are treated with greater respect and dignity than these innocent, unborn babies.”
The alliance and other pro-life groups are questioning whether Boyd is illegally changing the abortion procedure to harvest babies’ livers and kidneys, and calling for a state investigation. According to the alliance:
How is it possible for Boyd to provide six, intact “fetuses ranging 12 -22 weeks” for UNM’s Dr. Ohls to harvest? Is Boyd performing illegal partial birth abortions in order to provide Dr. Ohls a selection of wholly, intact “six fetuses” to harvest? The procedure Boyd states he uses up to 20 weeks, involves dismemberment and removal of tissue from the uterus. So how is it possible for him to provide “six fetuses” if their bodies have been dismembered and mangled from the abortion procedure?
Federal law states that an abortionist is not allowed to change the procedure to collect tissue: “No alteration of the timing, method, or procedures used to terminate the pregnancy was made solely for the purposes of obtaining the tissue.” Federal HHS regulations state: “The timing and method of abortion should not be influenced by the potential uses of fetal tissue for transplantation or medical research.”
The relationship between the university and Boyd was exposed last year after the undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress began drawing attention to the harvesting of aborted babies’ body parts.
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
In December, the university announced that it would stop sending medical students and residents to train at Boyd’s late-term clinic, LifeNews reported. However, university researchers said at the time that they planed to continue collecting aborted babies’ body parts from the late-term abortion clinic and using them for research.
A university spokesperson said they do not pay Boyd for the aborted babies’ body parts. The abortion facility also did not receive money to train the medical students, leading some to question whether the students’ work was exchanged for the aborted babies’ body parts.
In December, university officials also told the Albuquerque Journal that they have “no documents to show how much fetal tissue is sent from Boyd’s clinic to UNM researchers, nor how often.” However, the state pro-life group pointed out that the study documents they uncovered list “six fetuses” in Dr. Ohls’ possession.
The New Mexico pro-life group has retained legal counsel to help with their ongoing investigation, according to the group’s website.
“We have asked for information detailing storage, transportation and collection processes, regarding UNM’s research studies and inventory of aborted baby body parts. Our public record requests have been met with incomplete and evasive responses from UNM officials,” according to the group.
Operation Rescue also said the fetal tissue harvesting is in violation of New Mexico law, which forbids the use of aborted babies’ body parts in medical research. The group Protest ABQ filed a formal complaint in July with the New Mexico attorney general asking for an investigation into the illegal use of aborted babies’ body parts for research. The complaint is pending, according to the pro-life group.
The University of New Mexico has had its hands in the abortion industry for many years. The university also runs its own abortion clinic, which is funded with taxpayer dollars. The UNM Center for Reproductive Health performs abortions up to 22 weeks gestation, according to Operation Rescue.
Action: Tell the University of New Mexico to end its abortion practices by contacting UNM Board of Regents at 505-277-7639 or the UNM Health Sciences Center Board at 505 272-2398
