A Planned Parenthood doctor affirmed at a Sept. 29 House hearing that men can get pregnant and have babies.
The hearing at House Oversight and Reform Committee was called by Democrats to examine the effects of abortion restrictions.
In response to a question from Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director for primary and trans care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast said, “Men can have pregnancies, especially trans men.”
His answer appeared to perplex Clyde as he repeated his question while emphasizing that he was referring to biological men.
“So are you saying that a biological female who identifies as a man and therefore becomes pregnant is, quote, a man? Is that what you’re saying?” Clyde reiterated.
Kumar dodged the lawmaker’s query, contending such questions are “really missing the point” at a hearing about abortion.
He then re-affirmed his answer when grilled by Clyde, “Somebody with a uterus may have the capability of becoming pregnant, whether they’re a woman or a man,“ Kumar said. ”That doesn’t make a difference.”
Clyde further dismissed his statement, saying, “OK … We’re done. This isn’t complicated. Let me tell you, if a person has a uterus and is born female, they are a woman.”
“Not every person with a uterus has the ability to become pregnant,” Kumar maintained. “This is medicine.”
The Republican congressman once again rejected his response, “That is not a man, and the vast majority of the world considers that to be a woman because there are biological differences between men and women,” he stressed.
Clyde then proceeded to lecture the doctor on biology: “Clearly, any high school biology class teaches that men and women have different chromosomes. Females are XX chromosome and males are XY chromosome.”
“I can’t believe it’s necessary to say this, but men cannot get pregnant and cannot give birth regardless of how they identify themselves.”
Kumar further claimed that he had performed “likely thousands” of abortions, but Clyde questioned the reason why he was chosen to testify.
“Why in the world would Democrats have brought in a person whose title is director of trans care for an abortion hearing when only biological women can become pregnant?” asked the lawmaker.
Clyde also grilled Dr. Nisha Verma, a fellow at Physicians for Reproductive Health, about whether a fetal heartbeat is a manufactured sound, but Verma eluded his question, calling it a complicated issue.
“Like so many things in medicine, it’s complex,” she said.
Finally, she claimed that she needed “a little bit of time” to give an answer.
At the Thursday hearing, Democrats blasted Republicans for state restrictions on access while Republicans accused Democrats of advocating for unfettered abortion.
