New Delhi, January 15: A sharp exchange over gender, biology and medical science erupted during a recent US Senate hearing after an Indian-American obstetrician-gynaecologist declined to give a direct answer to the question, “Can men get pregnant?”

The confrontation took place at a Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee hearing titled “Protecting Women: Exposing the Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs” at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Dr Nisha Verma, appearing as a Democratic witness, was questioned by Republican Senator Josh Hawley. ‘Why Did You Sell Us a Dream?’: Indian-Origin Woman Poses Tough Questions to JD Vance Over US Immigration Policy, His Wife Usha Vance’s Faith; Video Goes Viral.

What Dr Nisha Verma Said

In her opening remarks, Verma defended medication abortion, stating that abortion pills have been safely prescribed for decades. She cited over 100 peer-reviewed studies and said more than 7.5 million people in the US have used the drugs since their FDA approval in 2000. According to her, politically motivated restrictions were harming patient care. Indian-Origin Kapil Raghu’s US Visa Revoked After Perfume Labelled as ‘Opium’ Mistaken for Drug, Now Faces Deportation.

‘Can Men Get Pregnant?’ Question Sparks Tension

The hearing turned tense when Hawley asked Verma a pointed question rooted, he said, in biology: “Can men get pregnant?”

Verma hesitated and replied that she treats patients with diverse gender identities, adding, “I do take care of people that don’t identify as women.” She avoided giving a yes-or-no answer, arguing that such binary framing oversimplified medical and patient realities.

Can Men Get Pregnant? US Senate Hearing Erupts in Sharp Hawley–Verma Clash

Hawley repeatedly pressed for clarity, saying the question was meant to establish biological reality and test her credibility as a medical professional. He later stated for the record that “it’s women who get pregnant and not men.”

Dispute Over Science and Safety

Hawley also claimed that abortion drugs lead to adverse health events in 11 percent of cases, a figure he said exceeded what is mentioned on the FDA label. Verma rejected the implication, reiterating that her views were guided by science and clinical evidence.

“I’m a person of science, and I’m also here to represent the complex experiences of my patients,” Verma said, adding that polarised language did not help patient care.

Hawley’s Closing Remarks

The senator accused Verma of undermining science and public trust by refusing to acknowledge what he called basic biological facts. He described her stance as “deeply corrosive” to science, public confidence and legal protections for women.

A Familiar Senate Showdown

The exchange echoed a similar moment from February last year, when Hawley confronted Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, during a Senate hearing, pressing him to apologise to parents over harms linked to social media.

The latest clash once again highlights how debates over gender, biology and reproductive rights continue to dominate US political and legislative discourse.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 15, 2026 04:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).