Media Center: Press Release

“Physicians do not have the right to impose their personal moral or religious beliefs on their patients, who may not share them.”

New York, NY—Members of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH) today objected to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt’s recent statement on conscientious refusals in reproductive healthcare. In a letter to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Secretary Leavitt expressed “strong concern” over ACOG’s statement that called for physicians who will not provide abortion or contraceptive services to offer medically accurate information and referrals to patients who decide to seek these services.

“As physicians, our primary duty is to protect our patients’ health,” noted Dr. Wendy Chavkin, immediate past board chair of PRCH. “While individual doctors have every right not to provide care that conflicts with their religious beliefs, they must offer complete and accurate information about abortion and contraception to their patients, including referral to another doctor or facility. Physicians do not have the right to impose their personal moral or religious beliefs on their patients, who may not share them.”

PRCH takes the position that the patient’s interests always come first and that a patient’s right to healthcare overrides the objections of an individual provider. Both physicians and institutions who object to certain reproductive health services have an obligation to ensure their patients can access healthcare through alternate providers. PRCH’s organizational positions on individual and institutional refusal are available online.

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