Doctor refuses to answer senator’s gotcha question about pregnant men, condemns ‘polarized language’

A US Senate hearing about abortion medication safety took an unexpected turn this week when one question went viral: “Can men get pregnant?”

The hearing was supposed to focus on mifepristone, a prescription-only abortion pill, which is commonly used with another medication called misoprostol to end early pregnancies or treat early miscarriages. The FDA approved a generic version in 2019, making it easier for people to access.

Republican lawmakers used the two-hour hearing to push for restrictions on telehealth abortions. They argued the drug carries risks and should require in-person medical visits as part of ongoing efforts to limit abortion access. Democrats accused Republicans of using safety concerns as cover to control women’s reproductive choices rather than protect health.

The biology question that overshadowed the abortion debate

The focus suddenly shifted when Dr. Nisha Verma was called to testify. She’s a double-board certified obstetrician-gynecologist who provides reproductive healthcare across multiple states and is currently researching how Georgia’s six-week abortion ban affects high-risk pregnancies.

Florida Senator Ashley Moody first asked Dr. Verma the question. Dr. Verma paused before responding, explaining that she treats patients with different gender identities without giving a simple yes or no answer. Other witnesses answered “no,” and Committee chair Senator Bill Cassidy later stated that men cannot have babies.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley then spent his entire time pressing Dr. Verma on the topic, asking the same question about ten times. When he asked, “Do you think that men can get pregnant?” Dr. Verma said she hesitated because she was unsure of the “goal” of the question, noting her practice of providing care to patients with different identities.

Hawley cut her off, insisting the goal was simply the truth. He stated, “Well, the goal is the truth, so can men get pregnant?” Dr. Verma tried to explain her position again, saying, “Again, the reason I pause there is I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is.” Hawley interrupted again, declaring, “The goal is just to establish a biological reality.”

The exchange lasted several minutes, with Hawley repeatedly interrupting the doctor. He stated he was testing her “veracity as a medical professional and as a scientist,” adding that he thought everyone was “past all of this, frankly.”

The interaction exploded on social media, making “can men get pregnant” a widely discussed topic. While the hearing was supposed to address medical policy and drug safety, the intense back-and-forth over biology now drives the national conversation. Meanwhile, millions face losing their healthcare coverage as other policy debates continue in Washington.