Kristin, I will challenge you with another question. Many religious believes do not accept medical attention, is the Doctor ethically obligated to provide medical attention despite the rejection by the patient or in a case of a child, the parent of that patient? A 10 year old who is raped has nothing to do with a doctor offering contraception. The forensic exam performed in the ER will be just that, a forensic exam. Why would a doctor even get into the contraception business? A 10 year old would not be assumed to become sexually active after a rape.
I think the main issue here is to respect the Hippocratic Oath doctors take upon graduation from medical school, see excerpts below:
"I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot."
The Oath above is what most doctors in good conscience will commit to for the rest of their professional lives. Please not that the issue of abortion on this Oath is not a religious statement but one of life preservation versus life termination. A doctor saves lives...at any stage of conception. Why try to impose on their profession an action that goes against their professional Oath?
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Kristin, I will challenge you with another question. Many religious believes do not accept medical attention, is the Doctor ethically obligated to provide medical attention despite the rejection by the patient or in a case of a child, the parent of that patient? A 10 year old who is raped has nothing to do with a doctor offering contraception. The forensic exam performed in the ER will be just that, a forensic exam. Why would a doctor even get into the contraception business? A 10 year old would not be assumed to become sexually active after a rape.
I think the main issue here is to respect the Hippocratic Oath doctors take upon graduation from medical school, see excerpts below:
"I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot."
The Oath above is what most doctors in good conscience will commit to for the rest of their professional lives. Please not that the issue of abortion on this Oath is not a religious statement but one of life preservation versus life termination. A doctor saves lives...at any stage of conception. Why try to impose on their profession an action that goes against their professional Oath?
December 23, 2008 - 1:01amThis Comment
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