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I know that I am a woman of the new millennium, but I still cannot believe that in 2008 there are still people out there trying to control women’s bodies and what we choose to do with them. Especially doctors.
Recently, a federal rule was proposed in Minnesota that would eliminate the mandate for hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims. This rule would “broaden the definition of abortion to include the most widely used forms of birth control, which can prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.”
“It elaborates that the rule change would mean doctors and nurses would not have to provide information on birth control, prescriptions or give referrals to get it elsewhere. Operating room technicians would not have to clean instruments used in a surgical procedure, the proposal said.”
What dose that mean, exactly? It means that women may not be offered the medical care they seek and require because some doctors and officials let their religious and moral views get in the way of their duties as professionals.
Apparently, some hospitals didn’t like stocking Plan B (also known as the Morning After Pill) for rape victims because it was an expense they didn’t want to incur. Other doctors decided that abortions are wrong, that life starts at conception and that they would not provide abortions to women because of that.
“We don’t think medical people should be punished for acting on their deep moral convictions on that issue,” said Tom Prichard, executive director of the Minnesota Family Council.
What?!
This entire situation has me raging. Are you seriously telling me that a woman who has been raped will not be able to protect herself and her body because a hospital didn’t want to spend money? And aren’t doctors supposed to remain completely neutral when it comes to the care of a patient? Why is it up to some random person with a degree to tell me what is best for my body and my life?
This proposal is drowning in controversy and opposition, so it may be a long time before we see anything happen. But the fact that it was even brought up is enough to make me wonder just when a woman is really going to have the right to control her own body.
[Photo courtesy of ABC News]
33 Comments
I was so raged when i read this too! But guess what, good ol’ President Bush is trying to make this a national thing…great.
Check it out:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/birth-control/stop-president-bushs-massive-sellout-womens-health-care-21522.htm
The federal proposal “is really out of the mainstream from how Minnesota women think about birth control and how Minnesotans think of emergency contraception,” said House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis.
I live in MN, and I agree that this is completely ridiculously opposite of how we are in Minnesota. Why is this happening here first!? This sounds like some bull that would be going down in conservative states.
Women do have the right to control their OWN bodies, that means you have the choice to NOT HAVE SEX. Abortion is just an easy way out of a mistake YOU made. If you murder a human there’s no pill you can take that will take back those consequences, you’re left to deal with your mistake. If you don’t study for a test, there aren’t makeups, it was your mistake. Why should this be any different? Why should there be a way to avoid the responsibility of something that you knew full and well could happen if you engaged in an action?
I’m so sick of this issue! Stand up and take some damn responsibility for your own actions! It shouldn’t be an issue of morals, or religion the only issue should be that it’s complete and utter irresponsibility to find an “easy way out” of a mistake that you had every opportunity to avoid.
However, there is always the option of adoption. Rape is a sad and traumatic experience (I know personally) but I, personally, would never abort in those circumstances, but I think that should be the only case in which it is allowed, because those women had no choice. (and if during pregnancy it’s a decision between the baby’s life or the mothers I don’t consider that abortion)
But doctors should NOT have to perform a procedure that goes against their personally beliefs. Yes they are required to help their patients, if it’s an emergency. However they are not required to perform an unnecessary procedure (one in which their are alternative options) Plastic surgeons do not have to perform an operation that they feel does not NEED to be performed. So if you want an abortion you can find a doctor that is willing to do the procedure and who doesn’t have beliefs against it. Just because you made a mistake and are to irresponsible to deal with it does not mean you have the RIGHT to drag someone else into it with you, who does not share your messed up beliefs.
oh and the baby has a separate body, women should not have the right to choose to eliminate another life. (and even though it hasn’t been born yet it is alive)
I am so sick of these “Pro-Life” arguments.. take responsibility? Knowing you can’t take care of a child and having an abortion isn’t an easy decision. Don’t judge what you don’t know. These are the same people that have no problem with a woman getting an abortion if the woman was raped..So ..is the fetus of a raped woman less important? Why is it okay in that situation and not otherwise? Hypocrisy at its finest..
Casey- For your information, plastic surgeons do have to perform those procedures.. Even if there is a high chance that something goes wrong, as long the patient understands the risks and consents to the procedure [and is in the right state of mind to do so] the doctor must go through with the procedure as long as its legal..
Casey–Doctors shouldn’t be pushing their beliefs on other people. As long as it’s legal, they need to do their jobs. And it is insulting that you think the only people who would get these procedures/take Plan B are “irresponsible” and “take the easy way out”. I’m not saying this doesn’t happen (because it does), but it’s ignorant to treat all women who need these things like that.
If you can’t take care of it maybe you shouldn’t be having sex. Everyone knows there is a chance you can get pregnant, you’re choosing to take that chance. The child shouldn’t have to die because you messed up. And I personally would not have an abortion if I was raped, and I don’t think it’s ok, and yes it is still a life, but the woman did not choose to have sex, it wasn’t her mistake, so she shouldn’t have to deal with consequences of a decision she didn’t make. Ideally I would say no to abortions in those cases as well, adoption would be a better option. (and spare me the arguments on foster homes, and whatnot, I know plenty of people who were adopted and at least some good can come out of an adoption, at least the kid has a chance for a life)
And no, plastic surgeons have every right to decide which procedures they do and don’t do, it’s their practice.
the doctors aren’t pushing their beliefs on anyone. They are abstaining from something that goes against what they believe. The person can find another doctor.
A person can choose their doctor, doctors can’t choose their patients. It’s not fair that they should HAVE to perform a procedure that they don’t agree with.
and no one NEEDS it, they are a necessity. There are other options.
Not doing a procedure simply because you don’t agree with it isn’t even logical. Well, maybe you should move to a country where doctors don’t have to respect their patients’ wishes. Until then, you ought to familiarize yourself with the way our healthcare system works..
And Casey your main point and argument against abortion is the fact that it’s a matter of responsibility..so your concern for the unborn child is really non-existent..a bit hypocritical.. Apparently the only problem you have is the fact that not everyone thinks and feels the same way you do about abortion. Well, welcome to America.
The problem with banning abortion and ceasing to provide contraception is that women are STILL going to get abortions, and unsafely. In the grand scheme of things, what’s more important? The loss of one potential life or the loss of a potential life and a woman’s life? Abortion is the lesser of two evils in some cases.
Some women cannot handle the burden of a child emotionally or mentally. If I was raped and a child resulted, I’m not sure what I would do. It would depend on my mental state. If there’s a chance the woman would harm herself because she can’t handle the thought of a child inside of her, then she should be able to get an abortion.
If we really want to prevent abortions then we need to focus on providing more contraception and better education to the masses. I should also note that over the years the number of abortions has been slowly declining.
Casey, have you ever thought about women who are raped? Maybe you shouldn’t lump everyone into one big category. And even if someone wanted to “fix a mistake” (or however you put it) that is THEIR choice. Preventing women from getting the medication they need and want is not up to the law makers in MN or the doctors in a hospital. No one tells you how to live your life, stop telling other women how to live theirs.
Yes, I did consider the women who are raped (re-read my posts, I clearly covered that issue)
and if a woman is going to get an abortion in unsafe conditions then there is obviously something wrong with her mentally, because that is just idiotic.
I have concern for the unborn child, personally, but you’re right, that is not the basis of m argument, that has been the argument of pro-lifers for years and that issue has been argued. You can’t argue that women know there is a chance they can get pregnant if they have sex, so they take that chance when they engage in it. So it is their responsibility to deal with their mistake, not just bypass it and get rid of it. What does that teach us? That in life you can just take the easy way out? We have no responsibilities? or we just don’t want the responsibilities and we want everything to be simple and not have to do any work. Life isn’t easy, it shouldn’t be made easy because then the system doesn’t work (Welcome to America! Land of the broken system because it’s citizens don’t want responsibility)
If a woman can’t handle the a child emotionally or mentally, then she probably shouldn’t be having sex, yeah sex has the added benefit of being pleasurable, but it’s purpose is to reproduce, so don’t be shocked when that is a result.
How is not doing a procedure that you don’t agree with not logical? Do you want to do something that goes against YOUR beliefs because someone else wants it? I highly doubt it. There are so many doctors in this country, why can’t the person find someone who is ok with doing a procedure? Why is that so hard? I’m catholic (shoker!) If I was a doctor it goes against my beliefs to kill another being, I wouldn’t want to do something (and shouldn’t have to) that in my faith would condemn me, because someone with different beliefs wants me too. THAT is illogical. This IS America, doctors should be free to live according to their beliefs. For you to ask them to do something that they find horribly and utterly wrong is insane, they’re not telling you you can’t do it they’re just saying they don’t want a part in it, find someone else.
But whatever, this argument is never going to come to a consensus because their are opposing view points, and no one is ever going to give into the other side. Its pointless to even argue.
And not everyone feels the way I do? OBVIOUSLY, how about you look in a mirror when you say that, cause OBVIOUSLY I don’t feel the same way you do. Again, welcome to America!
Casey, you wouldn’t have an abortion if you got raped, great for you. However, Plan B is NOT an abortifacient. Not by current U.S. law, not by any measure of common sense. And even if it were, how dare you presume to make that decision for all women in this country.
The main issue in this article is that there is a proposal to reduce distribution of Plan B in hospitals throughout the state of Minnesota, including in rape kits. You honestly want to tell me this is a good idea, that forcing a woman who’s just gone through the traumatic experience of rape that she gets to go through the even more traumatic experience of carrying to term a child she doesn’t want created by a horrifying experience, just because a doctor “didn’t feel right” about providing her adequate medical care? In what universe is this a good idea?
If a doctor or nurse has a problem with Plan B, s/he should probably find an area of medicine where it’s not his/her duty to provide it. When I enter that clinic, I don’t give a rat’s ass about your personal beliefs. My health is not about you. It’s about me.
ALSO
The proposal covers information about birth control, prescriptions for birth control, and referrals to places that would prescribe birth control. Given that most insurances specify one clinic or practitioner and will not pay for any other *unless* a referral was given by the practitioner listed on the policy, this is highly problematic for people who can’t afford to pay for prescription birth control out of pocket. It’s also harmful to people who attend schools with abstinence-only policies. Given the ridiculous number of urban legends on how to prevent pregnancy (including my favorite: You can’t get pregnant the first time), is it surprising that we think this is a horrible idea?
Giving the doctor the right to refuse a patient the right to treatment and/or information based on personal belief only works if we’re living in a society where everyone’s thoroughly educated on all health issues and has ready access to other medical institutions. We don’t live in that society, and proposals like this just allow medical practitioners to shaft their patients to make themselves feel better.
After re-reading, I’ve got to say I’m not too hot on the part that lets operating room technicians opt out of cleaning instruments used in surgical procedure. While I’m sure that they could find another tech to do it, I don’t want to take the chance that it would be overlooked. I’ve gotta say I’m against something that creates a chance of less-than-sterile surgical instruments.
Let me give u my perspective. Im a woman. I did get raped when i was still in school by the pondscum janitor at my highschool. Thank heavens for that little pill. I also had to take anti-retro virals. My life was made hell by one solitary bastard. Having a baby at 17 would have killed me. And its due to him that im now bipolar. So the government can go drown themselves. Bastards!
Look I’m a nurse and I’m sick of being lumped into the category of people who “force their personal beliefs onto patients.”
I personally do not agree with abortion unless it’s a case of rape/incest….that’s just my personal opinion. And because of that, I would never work somewhere that gave abortions that I had to be a direct part of. I don’t think people who get them are bad people. My friends have gotten them, and I believe that is what was good for them at the time. I just personally couldn’t do it and don’t want to be a part of it. So I found an area of nursing that didn’t involve me having to do it..and it’s worked out. If it was an emergency and I was there, I would never pass judgment, it’s not my place. The doctors and nurses who do that are a small percentage..so don’t let them taint your view on the medical field.
Casey, I agree taht you should be able to find a doctor who DOES agree to help you. But, Minnesota is trying to eliminate the requirement for doctors to refer women to someone else. I am sorry, but that is just wrong. There is no way around that argument. THe morning after pill is NOT abortion. It is disgusting that people are trying to characterize it as such.
Thank you Alanna, for pointing out that medical personnel have the right to chose where they practice. It is important that a doctor or a nurse do this if they wish to not anger many people. I’m glad that you have chosen to work somewhere that allows you to follow your beliefs without compromising your job as a nurse.
And I completely agree that the morning after pill is not abortion. Birth control in general is not abortion since it prevents an egg from being released from the ovary. No egg, no pregnancy. Whooo!
the problem with saying that women who are raped are the only one who can have abortions, is that it makes pregnancy seem like a punishment… its okay to allow the raped woman who “didnt choose,” but what about the married 30 year old who used contraception and it still failed? she didnt choose it, but the reality is that we are human beings who have sex. making it only okay for rape victims makes it seem like anyone who wasnt raped “deserved it” - almost like a punishment. and if this were ever put into practice, suddenly all women who want an abortion are going to claim they have been raped - which will turn into a legal crisis, especially if you include the women who can’t prove they have been raped, but really have.
the bottom line is that we can all chose whats best for ourselves… if casey got pregnant, she could keep it, just like the rest of us can decide whether or not we want to. in some societies, mostly developing, a child isnt even considered a child until months after it is alive, and it goes through a “social birth” ritual. though most of us here will think life starts at birth or earlier, the point is we will never agree, and we need to be able to make our own decisons on such a personal matter.
the morning after pill, is also a blessing. if you are pro-life, id think you would be for it, since it would eliminate the number of abortions (it cracks me up that most pro-lifers are against the very things that would reduce the number of abortions in the first place… so backwards).
oh god, the country is falling apart though.
obama, help us!!!
Sorry, I didn’t state my stance on The morning after pill (which I probably should have since the article is initially about that), But just to clarify, I don’t consider it, or birth control pills abortion. I was in no way talking about either of those pills. And yes I agree it is ridiculous to make laws against them. (one of the few problems I actually have with the bush administration)
So, only rape victims should get a second chance? Not life threatening pregnancies.
And, sorry, but if you’ve never been raped, then I doubt you know what it would be like to carry a living memento of your body being violated.
Casey….be careful what you say, in your first post you say you know first hand (about rape) and in the posts that follow you say if you were every raped… come on! you cant be on both sides, if you were raped that is sad but if you were not don’t pretend you understand what other women have to go through. God isn’t going to help them pay to raise a baby, nor did he help them to not get raped, so why should we bring one of “his” children into the world when he abandoned us.
I was raped repeatedly when I was 13 by my boyfriend and his father, luckily I didn’t get pregnant. I meant if I was raped again and a pregnancy resulted.
And I said if it’s a decision between the mothers life or the baby’s then that is ok. (can you people read!? Damn!)
And I believe everything happens for a reason, I didn’t bring god into this but maybe there’s a bigger reason that child is inside you.
WOO! Go Minnesota!
casey, you are the first pro-life individual i have ever met (sort of) that agrees it is weird to be pro-life and simultaneously try to restrict birth control, such as the morning after pill. liberals and conservatives dont agree on much, but i always thought this was a common ground and couldnt understand when conservatives didnt see this.
i didnt bring god into it either, but thats another reason why abortion should be left to the woman’s discretion. i’m an atheist, and for me, if i were to get pregnant it would be because my birth control didnt work, and somehow and egg got down there, and the sperm found it. everyone is different, and they all deserve to be able to make such a life-changing decision for themselves.
If you believe in abortion and are prego and don’t want to be then have one, if you dont have the baby. It’s my body, my choice, to deney a rape surviver the very basic protection of not having her rapists baby is sadistic. I don’t care whether people are pro choice or pro life, it’s my baby and my body and I’ll do with both what I want so go on and get your own.
I don’t really understand the ban on birth control. I’m a catholic and I know the Christian religion teaches that sex before marriage is bad, but it also teaches you that sex is a gift and it’s supposed to be enjoyable (between the same two people forever and ever) As a Christian I don’t think it’s right to have sex before marriage (for moral reasons), but I still do it, we’re not perfect and God knows that and doesn’t expect us to be. So I don’t see anything wrong with birth control, it’s not killing anything, it’s stopping something before it happens. But I also know birth control isn’t 100% effective and everyone knows there’s still a chance you could become pregnant. I think if you’re not mature enough to handle a pregnancy then maybe you’re not mature enough to be having sex (even though you want to doesn’t mean you should). I could handle a pregnancy, maybe not a baby, but in that case I would give it up for adoption. These are my opinions agree with me or not, but since the world will never come to an agreement not everyone is going to be satisfied. Don’t get mad at me for having a different opinion and thinking you should do something differently, because my opinion isn’t hindering your choices at all (because a ban on abortions will NEVER be passed). But I’d also like the world to be a better place and killing babies because of immorality and irresponsibility (in my opinion) isn’t my idea of making the world a better place.
lol i had a catholic upbringing too but i think it failed. im not mad at you though heh, i dont know where you got that from, or if that was even directed at me.
the thing is, i never want a baby ever. my entire life. im going to be childless until i die.
ive always practiced extremely safe sex, and i rarely forget to take my pill (and on the two occasions it happened in the three years i have been on it, i followed the directions in the packaging to a T). I know birth control isnt 100% effective, but I dont feel i should have to wait until im 50 to lose my virginity because i never want children. i am very careful with sex, which i see as a sign of my maturity, but i want my last resort to always be there. i also wouldnt be comfortable with adoption because the reason i never want children is because i know i would put my career first. we also dont have paid maternity leave in this country, which would be necessary for recovery even if you had to give a child up for adoption. i wouldnt want to take the time out of my career to have the baby for adoption, and i might not be able to make it without the money (who knows?). the problem is, i know that there are people out there who definitly cant make it without the money, older women who get pregnant with a child they cant afford, and live paycheck to paycheck… so this gap of time needed in a hospital can turn into a nightmare, especially with those who dont have health insurance.
the fact is, however, if abortion were to be banned, it wouldnt really go away. it would go into back alleys, and survive on the black market. and women would die getting them.
i was also upset though over the partial birth abortion ban which happened under the bush administration. the reason being, is that i know many women who had severe problems during the last trimester of pregnancy, ones that came very close to inducing death of the mother. and they didnt leave any medical exceptions in this bill. if i actually wanted children, id definitly want to give birth in canada lol.
The words “pro-life” and “pro-choice” can be tossed around for years and not actually address what we’re talking about here:
If the issue was truly about the health and survival of the potential child, why aren’t our state and national governments doing more to help out the starving children of our own lower classes, other nations and countries? It isn’t about CHILDREN or MOTHERHOOD, it’s about a world in which women can refuse to accept or keep the sperm introduced to them by A MAN.
We are expected to be vessels and just cherish everything introduced into us! Having a baby shouldn’t be a punishment or a penance! And there’s a huge difference scientifically between what a morning after pill is and a full abortion!
I wonder how much effort those doctors would be willing to put in on their days off, what chunk of their salary they’d be willing to donate to the women who they won’t allow to refuse motherhood to help them raise and support these chidren, or even pay their bills for these girls (obviously including rape victims) to HAVE IT.
VOTA OBAMA!!!!
McCain said, in 2007, that Roe vs. Wade should be overturned out right, and so he is worse than Bush in this..
Norma McCorvey, “Roe”, the winner of the case, also said that it should be overturned and that she had made a huge mistake. So when the winner of the case says it should be overturned that’s gotta say something right there.
Casey, I’m just curious: I don’t want to have kids. Ever. I don’t feel like I should be a mother and I’m not interested in it. So, in your opinion, does this mean I should never ever have sex?
I don’t ever want to be a mother either, but just because I’m going to have sex for my own enjoyment doesn’t mean that I’m going to abort a life that I created, that I know perfectly well could be a result of all the sex I am enjoying. It’s not a babies fault that I had sex and it resulted. And there’s always the option of adoption. there are so many people who want children and can’t have them, so instead of just aborting the baby that you don’t want but don’t want to abstain from the act that creates one, you can find one of these families and give them your child.
I could never kill a fetus, no one knows that the fetus doesn’t go through pain during an abortion, it can’t be proven, and it’s inhumane to deny the fact that it may be an extremely painful experience (especially with some abortion techniques where they use an instrument to literally break the baby apart inside of you and then vacuum it out. Who in their right mind even invented this procedure!?) And what baffles me even farther is the same people who are for abortion, the destruction of an innocent unborn life, are AGAINST capital punishment, killing a scumbag criminal who if put in jail has a chance to get out and continue to kill, rape, and wreak havoc. This just makes no sense to me. Isn’t abortion covered in the constitution under cruel and unusual punishment? If a pregnant woman is killed the murderer is charged with the death of 2 people, why is that baby considered a person? because it’s wanted? An unborn baby is only a person if it’s wanted? It seems to me people are extremely hypocritical, they want their cake and eat it too. People only do whatever is good for them, without thought to anyone else, it’s selfishness and it’s why the world doesn’t work.
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