Washington, DC, USA: Dr Nisha Verma came into the national spotlight after a tense exchange at a recent US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the safety of abortion pills. During the session, Republican Senator Josh Hawley repeatedly asked whether men can become pregnant, directing the question at Verma. The moment quickly went viral, reigniting political and cultural debates around gender identity, reproductive healthcare, and medical language in policy discussions.
Testifying as a Democratic witness, Dr Nisha Verma declined to give a direct yes-or-no answer, calling the line of questioning “divisive” and noting that she treats patients “with many identities.” Hawley responded by asserting that women, not men, become pregnant. The exchange drew sharp reactions online and among lawmakers, with many viewing it as a flashpoint in ongoing debates over abortion laws and transgender healthcare in the United States.
Dr Verma is a board-certified obstetrician gynecologist and a specialist in complex family planning. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, to parents who immigrated from India, she earned her undergraduate degrees in biology and anthropology and her medical degree from the University of North Carolina. She later completed a Master of Public Health at Emory University.
Her clinical training included residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Complex Family Planning Fellowship at Emory University, where she also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Currently, Verma is a Senior Advisor for Reproductive Health Policy and Advocacy at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She provides reproductive healthcare in states including Georgia and Maryland, has testified before Congress on abortion-related regulations, and contributes to research examining the impact of Georgia’s six-week abortion ban on high-risk pregnancies.
