General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOB/Gyn weighs in on anti-abortion laws
From Monday's NYT:
Dr. Gunter had a situation during her fellowship at the University of Kansas in which a woman faced renal failure and dialysis if she did not terminate her pregnancy. As the woman's physician, she was forced to call the hospital attorneys to she what she was "allowed" to do, not from a medical standpoint, but from a legal one, to avoid going to jail for providing appropriate, standard-of-care medical intervention.
"To reconcile our disagreement, the hospitals attorneys felt the only course of action was to get the opinion of the legislator who wrote the law. An attorney set up a conference call with this man so that I could plead my patients case.
I began to explain the medical situation, how ill she was. He interrupted me after a few seconds: Whatever you think is best, doctor.
My patient got the abortion and her health improved as a result. But I was furious. How dare some legislator applaud this monstrous law in public all the while deferring to a doctors expertise in private."
Full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/opinion/abortion-laws.html
I'm an OB/Gyn, and wouldn't presume to offer a legal opinion, to fly a plane, or to fix your transmission for that matter. Why have we come to the place in this country where people think it is acceptable to ask legislators (who often have no experience at ANYthing other than running for office) to be the arbitrators of medical care?
It is insanity.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Smart, funny, and passionate about all patients.
Follow her on twitter. https://twitter.com/DrJenGunter
Sid
PunkinPi
(4,875 posts)Kath2
(3,074 posts)In spite of all their moaning and groaning otherwise, rethugs sure do enjoy getting between women and their doctors.
Republican government: small enough to fit inside a uterus.
Wounded Bear
(58,649 posts)Ilsa
(61,695 posts)Practicing medicine without a license. I think we should arrest and arraign them for it.
Mrs. Ted Nancy
(462 posts)in these legislatures did not consider that their respective states may LOSE ob/gyns.
The teaching hospitals could lose faculty and/or not be able to fill all of their slots for residents. Rural areas are having problems providing care as it is now.
This is so maddening.
demmiblue
(36,845 posts)volstork
(5,400 posts)Her GOOP takedowns!
B Stieg
(2,410 posts)You'd think they'd have trouble with doctors being locked up for up to 99 years!
volstork
(5,400 posts)(For example, they opposed Medicare and Medicaid back in the day), but ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) has been quite vocal and condemning about the issue.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,853 posts)I don't understand why they haven't been speaking up long before this.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Politicians should have NO say in this matter. Especially male politicians.