Kansas to Pregnant Women - "A Little Lie from Your Doctor Won't Hurt You"

[tpsbmam]

It's what every pregnant woman I know dreads. Going into that big ultrasound, having the ultrasound tech, who had been so chatty, suddenly go silent. Having her do sweep after sweep across your belly without saying another word, until finally, she gets up and solemnly says, "I am going to get the doctor."

As far as pregnancy nightmares go, I thought that was one of the worst. But now politicians in Kansas are giving pregnant women and their partners something new to worry about. Buried in a sweeping anti-abortion bill is a provision that would immunize a doctor who discovers that a baby will be born with a devastating condition and deliberately withholds that information from his patient. That's right. If the bill passes, a doctor who opposes abortion could decide to lie about the results of your blood tests, your ultrasound, your cvs or your amnio. Lie to you so that you won't have information that might lead you to decide to end your pregnancy or that might lead you to learn more about your child's condition so that you are prepared to be the best parent you can be to your child.

-snip-

And, unfortunately, it's not just Kansas. Other states motivated by anti-abortion zeal are jumping on the it's-ok-for-doctors-to lie-to-their-patients-to-prevent-them-from-having-an-abortion bandwagon. Oklahoma recently passed a similar law. And, the Arizona legislature is considering a similar bill.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Despite the rhetoric of anti-abortion politicians about how all these restrictions are necessary to ensure that women's decisions are well-informed, it's never been about that. Doctors who provide abortions already work hard to ensure that every woman has the information she needs to make the best decision for herself and her family. What these bills are about is politicians who think they know better than women and who are trying to impose their own views on abortion on a woman and her family regardless of the circumstances: That's what's behind those now infamous ultrasound bills in places like Virginia, Idaho, and Pennsylvania. That's what's behind the bills in Georgia and Arizona that would ban abortion at the point when a woman often learns about a devastating diagnosis. And that is what is behind so many of the other bills working their way through the state legislatures right now. The Kansas bill is, in a way, just more upfront about it.

I worked with a family that had to deal with a Catholic doctor at a Catholic hospital lying to them about the fetus she was carrying. They were told the fetus was healthy, which was far from the truth. She was born with as severe a case of this disease as I've ever seen, and this was my specialty for many years (I did both my master's thesis & dissertation on aspects of this disease). This poor girl's life was hell -- she was severely disabled in every way possible, including cognitively. Her life was one surgery after another and constant, intrusively necessary care. Her parents adored her. They also told me privately they don't know what they would have done had they had the information in time to abort, which is when they could have had the information had the doctor not lied. Once their adored daughter was there, it was incredibly difficult to look back and think about whether or not they'd have aborted. The one thing they both agreed on was if they'd had any idea of how endlessly difficult their daughter's life would have been, they would have aborted. They loved her that much. What she had to go through daily absolutely killed them. The severity of this disease can range from mild to severe, and they may have opted to through with the pregnancy.....or not. The decision should have been theirs and it was taken away from them through the lies of an amoral doctor.

Just as their heinous ultrasound laws set up women, these Republicans should be FORCED to meet with parents like these, and with their daughter. They should be FORCED to review her THICK medical file to get an idea of what this girl went through daily. Hell, if it weren't abusive for the kids, I'd FORCE them to spend a month caring for these kids and adults they've doomed to a lifetime of hell.

(Note: I took out the name of the disease, deciding it was too identifying should anyone happen onto the post through googling the name of the disease.)

The rest is at the ACLU Blog of Rights.

[surrealAmerican]

1. These people have obviously not thought through the implications ...

... of poisoning the doctor/patient relationship this way.


Women will have no reason to get an ultrasound if they can't rely on the findings (as reported to them) being truthful. They might not even have any reason to seek out prenatal care under these circumstances. Ultimately this will endanger far more fetuses than it will "save".

[HockeyMom]

2. Do the Republicans plan on opening state institutions again?

That is where these people, children and adults, went when their parents could not take care of them, or they outlived their own parents. If you have never watched videos from the 70s from these institutions, you should. In fact, every REPUBLICAN should be forced to watch them. State run asylums with 50 kids, naked and in their own filth, in one big room with only 2 nurses on staff. Today their are centers and group homes, but they cost more MONEY, usually through MEDICADE, which Repukes want to eliminate, and private donations. If rich Santorum is "going broke" caring for Bella who is still a very young child, imagine the average family????

Are these "pro-life" Republicans ready to start building institutions again? Of course not. They only care that they are BORN. What happens to them after that, they could care less.

[tpsbmam]

3. Kicking and for the first time ever rec'ing my own post

This deserves far more attention than it's getting.

[nikkis]

4. this is sick

lying to trap women into having children with severe handicaps is horrible. let my tell you being disabled is not a walk in the park. its my body i should have the right to choose how and when i reproduce and if i even want to. i had a medical dnc a abortion as its called and it was needed i would not be able to care for a child. i had a accident with birth control failing im chronically ill i cant get out of bed half the time let alone take care of a child. the child would stuck with a mom who is disabled broke and single. i could not trust my ex he was arrested for beating me while i was pregnant and the pain drugs my dr had me on would have caused my child to go into withdrawal so then someone could say im a horrible person. i made a choice that no one should have to make but i think i made the right choice. doctors who lie to there patients are not following the Hippocratic oath nor are they following the do no harm part of the bible.

[surrealAmerican]

5. Welcome to DU.

You are right. It's your choice, and you are better able to make an informed decision than these legislators. They don't have to live your life; you do.

A doctor who tells you the truth can help you make an informed decision. A doctor who lies can't, and ought not be practicing medicine.

[tpsbmam]

6. It's an incredibly tough choice for many women and couples

and no one should have the right to infringe on that choice. NO ONE!

And these right wing assholes would do their damnedest to make you feel that were that "horrible person" for making the choice that you did. They don't care that it was the right choice for you, a responsible choice, a thoughtful choice, a loving choice.....all they care about is imposing their will and their unbelievably screwed up morality on you.

Welcome to DU!

[PA Democrat]

7. This is criminal.

What makes it worse is that in state after state, funding is either frozen or being cut for services to help care for children with severe disabilities. If only the people pushing these bills were as concerned about these children after they are born.