The Wait in a Catholic Hospital After Rape

[atommom]

A lot happens when a Catholic conglomerate takes over a hospital. Some of the widespread changes center on abortion services and contraception access and education. For example, if abortion was previously performed at the clinic it is no longer offered. Affiliated clinics that perform abortion are usually forced to become independent and if any affiliated clinic offers contraception or contraception education, it may be required to stop or become independent.

But one of the most important changes is that in cases of sexual assault, emergency contraception, known as Plan B, is typically not given by the hospital.

In such a case, a doctor may give a prescription for EC, but the survivor must make the trip to the pharmacy.

The trip to the pharmacy is not only difficult after a traumatic sexual assault, there's also cause to believe that once there, a rape victim wouldn't be able to get her prescription filled. Across the country, pharmacists are refusing to dispense birth control for religious reasons. It seems disturbingly plausible that a Catholic hospital, refusing to offer emergency contraception for religious reasons, could make referrals to a pharmacy or pharmacist that also refuses to give contraception for religious reasons.

http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=2408

[Erika]

1. Just one reason why the Catholics are losing support as

well as other churches. The Catholic balance sheet is running into the red.
Their debts paid out for their clergy sinners far exceed the income received from fundamentalists Catholics minus revenues from the moderates.

[wli]

2. well, when the theocrats really take over the rape victims will be charged

They're pushing the slippery slope and Ledeen is screaming "faster, please" while Norquist advocates "date rape" under the cover of bipartisanship.

There are no bounds to the atrocities these fascists are drooling at the prospect of committing.

[DanCa]

3. The irony is the longer the wait the closer it is to a living being

And wasn't our flip floping crawford coward president for rape exceptions.

[yorkiemommie1]

4. one of my friends experienced a spontaneous miscarriage

and the Catholic hospital here in SoCal refused to treat her. said it would be an abortion.

and this was over 30 years ago!

[HockeyMom]

5. They didn't want to treat my ectopic pregnancy either

They don't care if YOU die.

[MountainLaurel]

6. Have any of these docs

Actually taken the Hippocratic Oath? How can they still consider themselves physicians if they won't treat women having a medical crisis? Why do they still have medical licenses?

And yet, when you tell these stories, people will tell you "That can't be right" or "That couldn't happen at that world-renowned medical facility" or "Doctors just aren't allowed to do that." I recently accepted a job at a top Catholic university (I just can't beat the commute) that actually got in trouble with the Vatican over being too secular and not following Papal law. But somehow I suspected that my health plan probably wouldn't cover my Pill prescription. My fiancee just could not believe that a place like XXX University -- one of the top-ranked schools in the country -- would be that backward. Bob Jones, maybe, but XXX? He was quite surprised to find that I was right: Despite all their words about "treating the whole person," the school health plan does not cover contraceptives, sterilization, fertility treatments, selective reductions, etc. I don't think my sweetie had any idea how prevalent this situation is -- As a man, he's never had to deal with health plans that don't cover your basic care.

[Nobody]

7. The "whole person" doesn't include ovaries

or uteri or fallopian tubes or vaginas. Or breasts capable of lactation.

Interestingly enough, there are only two things you can be excommunicated for in the modern era: being a pro-choice politician and being an activist for allowing women into the priesthood.

Nothing else will get you excommunicated. Nothing.