New York : An Indian-American obstetrician-gynaecologist appearing before the US Senate triggered a sharp exchange on gender and biology after declining to give a direct answer to whether men can get pregnant. Dr Verma, a reproductive health adviser and senior figure associated with Physicians for Reproductive Health, used her opening remarks to defend medication abortion.
Medication abortion has been rigorously studied and proven safe and effective in over 100 high-quality peer-reviewed studies,” Verma said, adding that more than 7.5 million people in the United States have used abortion pills since their approval in 2000. The hearing took a confrontational turn when Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Verma a pointed question: Can men get pregnant?
Hawley repeatedly pressed her to respond directly, insisting the question was rooted in biology rather than politics. “The goal is to establish a biological reality. This is about science and evidence,” he said, adding that he was testing her credibility as a medical professional. Verma pushed back, arguing that framing the issue as a binary question oversimplified patient realities.
He questioned how her testimony could be taken seriously if she could not concede that biological men do not get pregnant. Hawley also cited claims that abortion drugs cause adverse health events in 11 percent of cases, a figure he said far exceeded what is stated on the FDA label, arguing that the hearing was about protecting women’s safety. Verma defended her stance, reiterating that she was guided by science while also representing the lived experiences of her patients.
It is not polarising to say that women are a biological reality and should be treated and protected as such; that is not polarising. That is truth. Your refusal to recognise men as men and women as women is deeply corrosive to science, public trust, and constitutional protection for women as women,” he concluded.
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