Section Overview:
• Once he declared his candidacy, Oz adopted a conservative approach to abortion regulations, claiming to be 100% “pro-life” and referenced his work as a heart surgeon to justify his anti-choice views.
• Oz said abortion was only justified if it was for the health of the mother, incest, or rape.
• Prior to his Senate run, Oz acknowledged the negative consequences anti-abortion legislation would have on women, adding that he did not want to interfere with a woman’s right to choose.
• Oz warned that from a medical standpoint, increasing restrictions on abortions would have negative effects on women’s health.
• During his campaign, Oz could not define when life began, later, he decided life began at conception.
• Prior to his campaign, Oz rejected that life began at conception and invoked science to justify his reasoning.
• Oz initially opposed efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade but campaigned in favor of overturning the ruling.
• Oz initially touted the potential of embryonic stem cells, and criticized President Bush for putting restrictions on research. Oz would later say the debate on stem cells is dead and stem cells could be created without using embryos.