Bush Administration’s Regulation Undermines Women’s Access to Reproductive Health Care

The Bush Administration issued a final regulation Thursday that would undermine a woman’s ability to access important health services and information about all relevant health care options.

The proposed rule, published in August, generated hundreds of thousands of comments, including public opposition from leaders in Congress, governors, medical organizations, patient advocates, faith-based groups and even members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). However, the Bush Administration released a final rule Thursday that failed to meaningfully address many of the concerns raised by these comments.

Existing federal laws already protect employees from religious discrimination in the work place and accommodate health care professionals who refuse to provide abortion services, while ensuring patients have access to necessary care. This regulation purports to create a right for individuals and institutions to refuse to provide necessary health care services, including contraception, reproductive health care information, counseling and referrals, which is unprecedented under current laws.

A woman seeking health care should be able to trust that her health care provider will give her accurate, unbiased medical information about all of her options. Navigating the health care system can be overwhelming, and this regulation disparately impacts low-income women who depend on federally-funded safety net providers for family planning services and information. If a medical professional or counselor refuses to provide information about reproductive health care options, including referrals for abortion care, a woman may not have the ability or resources to visit multiple providers to obtain non-judgmental care.

Every woman deserves access to unbiased, medically accurate information so that she can make the right decision for herself in her particular circumstances. We join with the numerous voices opposing this regulation and urge the new Administration and Congress to take steps to reverse this ill-conceived regulation and ensure that women have access to the health care they need.

New York City Council Unveils Clinic Access Bill

Last week, the New York City Council held a hearing on a bill to protect access to reproductive health clinics. The Clinic Access Bill was introduced in September by Speaker Christine Quinn in order to protect both patients and health care providers at local clinics from the harassment they face from anti-abortion protesters. Recent examples of harassment include doctors being knocked to the ground, clinic doors being blocked, and protesters misleading women and instructing them to get into cabs in order to go to the “real” clinic.

The new legislation would allow clinic employees as well as patients to file charges against protesters. The bill also lessens the burden of proof currently required to prosecute the charges.

According to the Women’s Issues Committee chair, “this bill will ensure this right against unlawful harassment and intimidation, and will guarantee that every woman can make the reproductive choices that are best for her."

There has been widespread support for the bill, and it is expected to pass.

>Learn more about clinic protection.

“Post-Abortion Syndrome” Myth Based on Faulty Science

The myth that women who choose abortion experience subsequent mental health problems has no valid scientific basis, according to a new study published in this month’s Contraception. Through a literature analysis, researchers found that high quality studies reflected no significant difference between the mental health of women who have had abortions and those who have not. The researchers reviewed 21 studies on the relationship between abortion and mental health conducted between January 1989 and August 2008.

"A clear trend emerges … [that] the highest quality studies had findings that were mostly neutral,” and "making policy recommendations such as the enforcement of so-called ‘informed consent’ laws (which often provide misinformation regarding mental health risks of abortion) is unwarranted based on the current state of the evidence," the researchers concluded.

In August, the American Psychological Association drew similar conclusions after spending two years analyzing more than 150 studies.

>Learn more about the “Post-Abortion Syndrome” myth.

Kline Sanctioned for Improperly Handling Medical Records

Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court sanctioned Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline for improperly handling patient medical records and ordered him to return the full set of records to Attorney General Steve Six by December 12. Attorneys from a Kansas Planned Parenthood asked the court to intervene, claiming Kline had acted improperly and abused his powers in his investigation of the clinic.

In their 5-2 decision, the justices used harsh words to describe Kline’s handling of the medical records. "His attitude and behavior are inexcusable, particularly for someone who purports to be a professional prosecutor. It is plain that he is interested in the pursuit of justice only as he chooses to define it," the opinion says.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius said that this conflict could have been avoided “if women’s private medical records were protected in the first place.”

NAF Featured as Expert Contributor

NAF has been featured as an expert contributor arguing: Should Abortion be Legal? on Opposing Views, a website dedicated to the debate of important social, health, and political issues. At Opposing Views, well-known organizations and opinion leaders engage in an online discussion so that viewers can see all sides of a topic. You can join in the debate by rating and commenting on our arguments.