Hillary Clinton’s recent public health crisis has a number of Republican politicians and supporters weighing in on her ability to serve. However, many Twitter users noted that this amount of attention to women’s health is rarely seen from the GOP.
The Democratic presidential nominee became ill during the September 11 commemoration event, and had to be helped into a car by several Secret Service agents and staffers. Though they initially blamed the episode on "overheating" and allergies, the Clinton campaign eventually admitted the candidate had been diagnosed with pneumonia. This fueled rumors about Clinton's health that have already been circulating for months.
The increasing number of bills that the Republican Party pushes in the name of protecting women’s health is widely criticized for doing the opposite, especially when it comes to the issue of abortions. For example, in 2004, Ohio voted to change the requirements on the abortion pill requiring that doctors administer the pill using outdated FDA requirements. To be clear, only a few states required this and the majority allowed doctors to prescribe dosages in their patient’s best interests.
READ MORE: Government expands use of abortion pills for first time since 2000
A study from the Public Library of Science found that in the time that has passed, complications from abortions increased in Ohio. In the period following the law, women were three times more likely to need additional medical assistance and had significantly more side effects than in the past.
Texas is also home to the highest maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world, according to the Boston University School of Public Health. They also found that the ailments were “seemingly preventable.”
This brings us to the big question: does this mean that Republicans will have an about-face and suddenly support women’s health and stop defunding the services that provide? If you believe Twitter, then the answer is no.