Another Rant

Okay I usually don't like spouting about my political views but I am stunned by this latest "gift" from the current and thankfully soon to be gone administration. Apparently in December the Bush administration pass a rule limiting the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information when they visit a federally funded health care provider. It would allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control and then refuse to provide these basic services. WTF!(sorry Master I will take any punishment for that one it is the only way to express the outrage I am feeling at this moment).

How does this affect me you may wonder? Well now anti-choice medical staff can withhold information about abortion, birth control and sex education from their patients. Facilities that receive federal funding such as Planned Parenthood will have to certify that they will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control. So now a doctor who opposes pre-marital sex could refuse to provide a prescription or even information about emergency contraception to an unmarried woman.

Planned Parenthood is currently filing a lawsuit asking the court to invalidate this administrative regulation. But this will unfortunately not be an easy fight. Planned Parenthood is also asking the Obama administration to overturn this ruling immediately. You can sign a petition to reverse this action here.

For any health provider to intentionally withhold information about any treatment options from a patient for any health condition is absolutely unconscionable under any circumstances. It’s outrageous that President Bush used his last days in office to implement a rule that would limit the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information and the sad part is that so many people aren't even aware that it happened! I mean its half way through January and I just found out about it! Please get the word out and help overturn this absurd ruling.

To read the NY times article from Nov. 2008 about this click here

For more links to articles about this click here