Driftsprint

By Anna Skinner

Senior Reporter

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An Atlanta-based obstetrician and gynecologist's response to the question of whether men can get pregnant has gone viral across social media on Wednesday.

The question, posed during a U.S. Senate hearing on abortion, has reignited cultural and political battles over gender identity and reproductive rights. The viral exchange between Republican Senator Josh Hawley and Dr. Nisha Verma, an OB-GYN and witness for Democrats, reflects ongoing national debates over the language and science of pregnancy, inclusion of transgender people in health care discussions and the politics of abortion policy. These discussions resonate with Americans as lawmakers consider the safety and regulation of medication abortion and broader implications for reproductive health care access and civil rights.

Newsweek reached out to Verma and Hawley's offices via phone for comment.

During a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on abortion pill safety, Hawley repeatedly asked Verma, senior adviser for Physicians for Reproductive Health, if men could become pregnant. The hearing, held on Wednesday, focused primarily on the safety of mifepristone, a medication used in more than half of U.S. abortions.

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Verma initially responded that she treats patients with a variety of identities. She declined to give a direct yes-or-no answer to the question, instead calling it a “political tool” and describing the exchange as "polarizing."

"I hesitated there because I wasn’t sure where the conversation was going or what the goal was. I mean, I do take care of patients with different identities. I take care of many women. ... I do take care of people who don't identify as women," Verma said during the hearing.

Hawley pressed for a definitive answer: "The goal is to establish a biological reality. You just said a moment ago that science and evidence should control, not politics. So let’s just test that proposition." Eventually, Hawley concluded, "For the record, it's women who get pregnant, not men."

A video of the exchange that was posted around noon Wednesday ET has already been viewed 3.4 million times.

The exchange between Verma and Hawley continues to fuel debate on social media and among policymakers about the language used in reproductive health care and the role of gender identity in medicine. The discussion is likely to inform future hearings and legislation on abortion, transgender health care and definitions of sex and gender under federal law. Federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services, have also signaled ongoing reviews of medication abortion safety, which may lead to further congressional scrutiny and polarized debate.

Who Is Dr. Nisha Verma?

Verma is a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist based in Atlanta. She serves at the Emory Clinic School of Medicine as an adjunct assistant professor. She began practicing medicine in 2021. Out of 48 reviews on her website, she has a 4.9 out of 5 rating.

"Dr. Nisha Verma is an obstetrician-gynecologist, complex family planning specialist, and clinician researcher committed to improving access to abortion care in the U.S. Southeast, which is her home," her website says.

Verma received her medical degree from the University of North Carolina, graduated from OB/GYN residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and completed a Complex Family Planning Fellowship and Master’s in Public Health degree at Emory University.

"She is currently serving as the Darney/Landy Fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she is actively involved in abortion-related policy and advocacy work," the website says. "Dr. Verma currently provides abortion care at Planned Parenthoods in the Delaware area."

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