( CNN ) I operate the only abortion clinic in Wichita . For many of our patients , we are their last hope . A woman showed up on our doorstep recently in wrinkled clothes that she had been wearing for days . She told us she had traveled across three states , spending $ 100 on gas alone , before finally reaching her destination . After she was unable to get the care she needed at the clinic closest to her , she left her small town in the Texas panhandle and went to Oklahoma , where she was told that her pregnancy was too far along to receive an abortion there . So she came to us . Opinion : It 's a child , not a choice . Unfortunately for our patient , and millions of women like her , anti-choice extremists in states across the country have instituted politically motivated and medically unnecessary red tape to limit their access to basic -- and potentially lifesaving -- health care . The reality that these extremists fail to acknowledge is that abortion is one of the safest -- and most common -- medical procedures . In fact , colonoscopies are far more dangerous than abortions . When I hear about new proposals to further restrict access to safe and legal abortions , I see in my mind the faces of patients like ours . These women are forced to leave their children and jobs behind for days while they seek out a safe and legal medical procedure . In Kansas , the law mandates that women receive biased information that is designed to persuade them not to have an abortion . Among other things , patients are required to read a statement telling them they are about to `` terminate the life of a whole , separate , unique , living human being . '' Then they are required to wait 24 hours before their abortion . For our patient , her three-day journey turned into four . In 2014 , many states made the process even more challenging for women seeking abortions . Mississippi joined a growing list of states that ban abortions after 20 weeks , well before fetal viability . Both Alabama and Missouri expanded their state 's waiting periods . And in Texas , medically unnecessary legislation forced the closure of abortion clinics across the state . Judicial hearings that began earlier this month will decide whether a component of the Texas law that requires all abortion clinics in the state -- even those that perform nonsurgical abortions and have excellent safety records -- to meet the costly standards of ambulatory surgery centers is constitutional . Cases like this one are poised to have far-reaching impact on the ability of women to access safe and legal abortion care . Unfortunately , it 's already clear that 2015 is going to be another year of long legislative battles for pro-choice advocates . Before the year even began , a lawmaker in Missouri proposed legislation that would require women to receive legal consent from the man who impregnated them before getting an abortion . When asked if the legislation would make allowances for victims of rape and incest , the bill 's author insisted that there would be an exception for victims of `` legitimate rape . '' Echoing Todd Akin 's infamous words makes it clear that this bill intends to further strip away women 's rights in Missouri . While lawmakers across the country appear poised to continue this trend , what makes me hopeful is that champions of reproductive justice have taken notice and forced decision makers to protect the rights of women . Last month , Virginia 's governor took steps to roll back politically motivated , unpopular abortion regulations that his predecessor initiated . In Mississippi , a judge blocked medically unnecessary legislation that would have forced the state 's last remaining abortion clinic to close . And in Colorado and North Dakota , voters soundly rejected personhood measures that would have given fetuses more rights than the women carrying them . All these victories have one thing in common : Someone stood up and said `` enough . `` Enough playing politics with women 's bodies . Enough pretending that politicians in state capitals are doctors . Enough telling women when and how to have children . Enough letting where a woman lives dictate her access to abortion services . The fight is not over for women who simply want the right to make their own medical decisions . This year , and as we mark the 42nd anniversary of the passage of Roe vs. Wade , I implore you to be one of the voices that says `` enough . ' ''
Julie Burkhart , abortion activist in California , says some must take days to find a clinic . She says some states have stepped up restrictions , not based on medical need , but ideology . Burkhart : Roe v Wade decision 42 years ago ; women today must take action to keep health care rights .