During a Congressional hearing this week on Capitol Hill, board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Nisha Verma, representing Physicians for Reproductive Health, struggled to give a definitive answer when Senators Ashley Moody and Josh Hawley repeatedly asked whether men can get pregnant.
Verma hesitated to respond in a straightforward 'yes or no' manner, explaining that she was uncertain about the 'goal' behind the question.
'I do take care of patients with different identities,' Dr. Verma told Hawley. 'I take care of many women. I take care of people with different identities. And so that's where I paused.'
Hawley clarified that the 'goal' of the question was 'just the truth' and to 'establish a biological reality.'
Following the hearing, Hawley posted on X: 'SPOILER ALERT: Men cannot get pregnant.' Both he and Moody later posted separate questions on the platform, sharing video clips of the exchange and asking if men can get pregnant.
OBGYN Says Question Was Polarising
Dr. Verma explained that she cares for patients who 'don't identify as women,' and responding with a simple 'yes or no' to the Senators' questions is 'a political tool'. She also accused Hawley of downplaying the 'complexity' of the matter.
However, Hawley responded that the question was not complex, and he was simply trying to obtain an answer and to 'test, frankly, your veracity as a medical professional and as a scientist: can men get pregnant?'
The exchange went around in circles until Verma described Hawley's line of questioning as 'polarising and pushing'.
Hawley then pointed out that the purpose of the hearing was to focus on the safety of abortion pills for women, the only sex capable of pregnancy. He added that Verma's failure to recognise this biological reality casts doubt on whether medical professionals advocating for abortion safety can be trusted.
Hawley Rejects Verma's Reasoning
Hawley told Verma that there is a difference between biological men and biological women, and that he could not take the OBGYN's claim of being a person of science seriously if she did not agree with the Senators 'on this basic issue.'
Verma responded by condemning what she called 'polarised language', emphasising that she is a scientist who seeks to represent the complex experiences of her patients. 'I don't think polarised language or questions serve that goal. I don't think they serve the American [people],' she said.
Hawley concluded by asserting that stating women are a biological reality and should be treated and protected as such is not polarising; it is the truth.
The hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour, and Pensions, focused on bills concerning medical abortion, occurred a day after the US Supreme Court heard arguments in multiple cases related to state laws banning biological men who identify as female from participating in women's sports.
Supporters of restrictions on transgender athletes argue that differences in biology justify such measures.
'The agenda-driven and radicalised Democrats will overlook not only scientific fact but the harsh and dangerous consequences of their mission to ensure there are absolutely no restrictions to abortion on demand,' Moody told a media outlet. 'Today's hearing put that on full display.'
This exchange highlights the ongoing political debate over biological facts and gender identity, underscoring how such issues continue to influence legislative and societal discussions in the United States.
