'Can men get pregnant'? Indian-origin doctor declines to give a yes-or-no answer during abortion debate

The incident occurred during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, determine the safety of abortion pills

A US Senate hearing on safety and regulation of abortion pills took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when Republican senator Josh Hawley questioned Dr Nisha Verma, an Indian-origin obstetrician-gynacologist, whether men could become pregnant.

In response, Dr Verma did not directly answer the question, instead replying that she treats patients "with many identities". Nisha emphasised on an inclusive approach to patient care.

The incident occurred during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, to determine the safety of abortion pills and whether existing regulations are sufficient.

One of the concerns raised during the session was the possibility of men obtaining abortion pills to pressure partners into terminating pregnancies.

Nisha, who practices in Georgia and Massachusetts, was called to testify by Democratic members of the committee.

What happened during the hearing?

The question of whether men can become pregnant was first raised by Senator Ashley Moody. Taking it further, Senator Hawley then pressed Nisha to answer directly.

“I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is,” said Nisha.

Hawley responded, “The goal is just to establish a biological reality. You said just a moment ago that science and evidence should control, not politics… Can men get pregnant?”

Healy said that science should guide medicine and asked Nisha for a clear answer.

“So can men get pregnant? And you’re a doctor of science. Evidence should guide medicine.”

To which Nisha replied, “I hesitated there because I wasn’t sure where the conversation was going or what the goal was… I take care of people with many identities.”

Later, she claimed that the questions were 'polarising' and said such yes-or-no questions are often used as political tools.

However, Hawley continued his arguments, rejecting Nisha's defence.

“Let me just remind you that you testified a moment ago that science and evidence should control, not politics. So can men get pregnant?”

When Nisha once again refused to give a yes-or-no reply, Hawley said, “It is not polarising to say that women are a biological reality and should be treated and protected as such; that is not polarizing. That is truth… For the record, it is women who get pregnant, not men.”

Nisha did not directly answer to Hawley's questions.

Social media reactions

The exchange has gone viral on social media, where several users criticised Nisha.

One user wrote, “Well done, no one should take Dr. Verma seriously. This was embarrassing.”

Another said, “Can ‘Dr.’ Verma really be this embarrassing? She should lose her medical license for not being able to answer a question any 6-year-old could answer. She definitely does not follow the science. I'm shocked she was able to get in much less graduate from med school.”

A third comment read, “Talk about living in an alternate reality. How is Dr Verma allowed to practice medicine when she(?) can’t answer a fundamental question of biology?”