over at pgh. woman's blogging society:
Proposed HHS regs will limit access to health care based on religious beliefs
Just received word of this ....
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Michael Leavitt, from enacting
harsh regulations that would threaten your access to vital reproductive health
care. The proposed regulatory language would allow your health care provider to
refuse to provide certain medical services on the basis of his or her own
religious ideology.
If the proposed regulations become law, any medical
professional could refuse to provide you with:
-birth control pills or other
forms of hormonal contraception
-emergency contraception
-an abortion
-a referral for an abortion
-an examination, if you are seeking treatment to which he/she opposes ideologically
-a referral for any other necessary medical services to which he/she opposes ideologically.
Thursday, September 25 is the deadline for public input. You can take action through the Advocates for Youth website here. Or through NOW here.
Now puts it pretty succintly "This Administration has lost its moral compass when the personal and private beliefs of a pharmacist or bookkeeper are more important than a woman's bodily integrity, her health, her future, and her right to family planning options. Birth Control is NOT Abortion."
This is just me speaking, but I can see how this extends beyond birth control. What about women and men seeking medical support during their gender transition? What if the community health clinic refuses to provide referrals to qualified practicioners, leaving these individuals out in the cold?
What about sexual orientation? What if the community health center staff oppose same sex relationships and refuse to provide good information on safe sex practices? Or referrals for counseling to therapists or providers that are gay-positive?
I found my current therapist through a former PCP and gay-positive was part of my criteria. What if she refused to give me a referral?
Where will it end? Please take a moment to send that email. And blog about this.
Posted by Sue at 5:40 PM.
Posts
4 comments:
Will do, Gurrrl.
We are so well on our way to becoming a Theocracy!
yes, yes we are.
There is no scientific evidence that birth control stops the implantation of a fertilized egg. Of course, you can't prove a "zero." You can only set a lower limit on it. It's on this basis they are objecting to birth control.
What does that say for all the other medicines a woman might wish to take? Most of them have not been studied to see if they affect the implantation of an egg.
I guess you'll be ok if you're a woman over 50. Or under 7.
If this goes through, it's a nightmare.
yes rob, pretty much of a nightmare. and i'll say something else. miscarriages are very common but sometimes involve a trip to the hospital because of bleeding or infections due to tissue left in the uterus. how many women will not seek medical help til it's to late for fear of questioning?
then there are cases like my daughter who can not become pregnant but has required birth control meds for years to help with medical problems.
Post a Comment