A looming question for the last few years, at least, is whether or not a medical services provider—doctors, nurses, pharmacists, &c.—have the right to refuse certain treatments and procedures for reasons of conscience.
If you're a doctor with a private practice, it is simple enough: If you're anti-abortion, don't include abortions among your services.
But beyond that, questions still persist. A lawsuit has arisen in New Mexico regarding the right of care providers—in this case, a nurse practitioner named Sylvia Olona, at Presbyterian Medical Services in Albuquerque—to ... well ... here:
The lesson here, of course, is that women should avoid medical institutions with religious affiliations. But how far are we from a blacklist? Imagine the reaction when feminists and women's organizations begin circulating lists of health-industry institutions to be avoided.
Should providers be required to submit statements of conscience to insurance companies, so that lists can be distributed to patients? It seems rather important in choosing a health provider.
Perhaps doctors, in meeting new patients for the first time, should expect to be peppered with all sorts of obscure "what if" questions. It's hard to imagine every possible scenario, after all, and if it happens one day that a doctor refuses to provide expected services, well, whose fault is that? The patient should have asked before it came up, right?
And if I am a pharmacy owner, can I set hiring criteria? Should I? Imagine:
And that's it. Done. Over. This is health care, not beer or ice cream sales. If you're going to refuse to do your job, I don't want you here.
And then, of course, the candidate might file a lawsuit. ("As soon as I said I was a Christian, he ended the interview. I was obviously not hired because of my religion.")
Health care is an important, even vital part of our society. It seems to me that if you enter a certain specialized field, and are aware of the demands it makes, one ought not decide later to back out because of conscience. While it is understandable that a Christian-affiliated hospital won't provide abortion services, just how far should conscience clauses reach?
(It should also be pointed out that Olona's contention that IUDs cause abortions is not true.)
As "godless liberal" P. Z. Myers noted, "Ladies, welcome to your future."
____________________
Notes:
Clark-Flory, Tracy. "Oops, I accidentally pulled out your IUD!" Broadsheet. January 22, 2009. http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/01/22/iud_abortion/index.html
Myers, P. Z. "They have a conscientious need to control your ovaries". Pharyngula. January 20, 2009. http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/01/they_have_a_conscientious_need.php
If you're a doctor with a private practice, it is simple enough: If you're anti-abortion, don't include abortions among your services.
But beyond that, questions still persist. A lawsuit has arisen in New Mexico regarding the right of care providers—in this case, a nurse practitioner named Sylvia Olona, at Presbyterian Medical Services in Albuquerque—to ... well ... here:
A woman in Albuquerque, N.M., went to a local health clinic to have the long string of her IUD shortened. No big deal -- all it takes is a simple snip. The nurse prodded her with a speculum and then, inexplicably, began pulling on the IUD, causing her sudden, intense pain. Then the nurse said one thing you never want someone to say when they have their hand in your vagina: "Uh-oh!"
Surely, the patient must have been terrified -- but then the nurse offered an explanation: "I accidentally pulled out your IUD. I gently tugged and out it came ... I cut the string than went back and gently pulled and out it came. It must have not been in properly." That might have been somewhat reassuring -- oh well, accidents happen -- only, the nurse continued to explain that "having the IUD come out was a good thing" and then offered, "I personally do not like IUDs. I feel they are a type of abortion. I don't know how you feel about abortion, but I am against them."
Hmm. The nurse continued: "Everyone in the office always laughs and tells me I pull these out on purpose because I am against them, but it's not true, they accidentally come out when I tug." Kidding about removing patients' birth control against their will? Hilarious -- sign me up for a visit to your office! Also: It's happened enough times that you have a reputation for it? Despite this being her "mistake," the nurse refused to insert a new IUD.
(Clark-Flory)
Surely, the patient must have been terrified -- but then the nurse offered an explanation: "I accidentally pulled out your IUD. I gently tugged and out it came ... I cut the string than went back and gently pulled and out it came. It must have not been in properly." That might have been somewhat reassuring -- oh well, accidents happen -- only, the nurse continued to explain that "having the IUD come out was a good thing" and then offered, "I personally do not like IUDs. I feel they are a type of abortion. I don't know how you feel about abortion, but I am against them."
Hmm. The nurse continued: "Everyone in the office always laughs and tells me I pull these out on purpose because I am against them, but it's not true, they accidentally come out when I tug." Kidding about removing patients' birth control against their will? Hilarious -- sign me up for a visit to your office! Also: It's happened enough times that you have a reputation for it? Despite this being her "mistake," the nurse refused to insert a new IUD.
(Clark-Flory)
The lesson here, of course, is that women should avoid medical institutions with religious affiliations. But how far are we from a blacklist? Imagine the reaction when feminists and women's organizations begin circulating lists of health-industry institutions to be avoided.
Should providers be required to submit statements of conscience to insurance companies, so that lists can be distributed to patients? It seems rather important in choosing a health provider.
Perhaps doctors, in meeting new patients for the first time, should expect to be peppered with all sorts of obscure "what if" questions. It's hard to imagine every possible scenario, after all, and if it happens one day that a doctor refuses to provide expected services, well, whose fault is that? The patient should have asked before it came up, right?
And if I am a pharmacy owner, can I set hiring criteria? Should I? Imagine:
Owner: Just a few more questions, and then we'll be done.
Candidate: (anxiously) Okay.
Owner: Issues of conscience have become a more common conflict in providing health care. Are there any circumstances under which you would be unwilling to provide properly-prescribed medication to a paying customer? Are there any medications or products that you would refuse, for conscience reasons, to provide?
Candidate: As a Christian, I cannot dispense Plan B.
Owner: (pauses thoughtfully) Okay. Thank you. We'll be in touch. My secretary will show you out.
Candidate: (anxiously) Okay.
Owner: Issues of conscience have become a more common conflict in providing health care. Are there any circumstances under which you would be unwilling to provide properly-prescribed medication to a paying customer? Are there any medications or products that you would refuse, for conscience reasons, to provide?
Candidate: As a Christian, I cannot dispense Plan B.
Owner: (pauses thoughtfully) Okay. Thank you. We'll be in touch. My secretary will show you out.
And that's it. Done. Over. This is health care, not beer or ice cream sales. If you're going to refuse to do your job, I don't want you here.
And then, of course, the candidate might file a lawsuit. ("As soon as I said I was a Christian, he ended the interview. I was obviously not hired because of my religion.")
Health care is an important, even vital part of our society. It seems to me that if you enter a certain specialized field, and are aware of the demands it makes, one ought not decide later to back out because of conscience. While it is understandable that a Christian-affiliated hospital won't provide abortion services, just how far should conscience clauses reach?
(It should also be pointed out that Olona's contention that IUDs cause abortions is not true.)
As "godless liberal" P. Z. Myers noted, "Ladies, welcome to your future."
____________________
Notes:
Clark-Flory, Tracy. "Oops, I accidentally pulled out your IUD!" Broadsheet. January 22, 2009. http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/01/22/iud_abortion/index.html
Myers, P. Z. "They have a conscientious need to control your ovaries". Pharyngula. January 20, 2009. http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/01/they_have_a_conscientious_need.php