![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redheadedfemmeGood Lord. This is kind of scary.The story tells about a Catholic doctor in New Zealand who has decided he will no longer prescribe contraceptives, and writes to his patients telling them about his decision.
Catholic GP's stance 'could lift rate of teen pregnancy'
17.10.05
By Martin Johnston
A women's health lobbyist fears that Catholic doctors' refusal to prescribe contraceptive pills risks pushing the nation's already high teenage pregnancy rate even higher.
A Nelson Catholic and general practitioner has told 50 female patients that for religious reasons he will no longer prescribe artificial contraception.
Others in Auckland are considering similar action.
Auckland Women's Health Council co-ordinator Lynda Williams said yesterday that prescribing contraceptives to teenage girls when they sought them was vital.
Not doing so would increase teenage pregnancies, "unless they are given timely referrals and urged to go immediately to another provider".
"It's very much an opportunistic thing. You've got to seize the moment, not make them go off and make another appointment somewhere. Teenagers are very 'now' people."
She was also concerned about rural women missing out on services they wanted if their area's sole GP refused to provide them.
Nelson GP Dr Joseph Hassan, a 40-year-old married father of four, wrote to the 50 patients a fortnight ago telling them he would no longer prescribe contraceptives or refer women for sterilisation.
The letter, which listed doctors who would provide the services, told patients their fertility was a gift to be looked after and not something to be treated with medication like a disease.
"I have done this in response to a personal journey," he told the Herald. " ... I have been praying about God's direction on this in my life. Over the last few weeks, in various ways, I have felt this is the direction I should take."
Dr Hassan, who also opposes abortion and has set up a crisis support programme as an alternative, said he had long been troubled by the conflict between the Church's teaching on contraception and his medical practice. He said other doctors would prescribe contraception and his move would not increase the teen pregnancy rate, which was due to other factors, "not just a lack of contraception".
New Zealand has the third-highest teenage pregnancy rate in the developed world. In 2002, 3 per cent of female teenagers aged between 15 and 19 became pregnant.
Ms Williams said she was surprised by Dr Hassan's move. "It's really out-of-the-Ark stuff these days."
Dr Hassan said he knew of at least five other Catholic GPs who had had "a similar kind of journey to me".
Women's Health Action director Jo Fitzpatrick said she did not object to GPs following Dr Hassan's decision, as long as they made their stance known, so women did not turn up only to be refused.
Catholic Church spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said his move was in accord with the Church's teaching.
Dr Hassan is the sole doctor at his suburban clinic and he receives Government money through a Primary Health Organisation (PHO). The Health Ministry says PHOs must provide a comprehensive range of primary health services, but not every contracted medical practice has to provide every service.
The rules
* Under Health Ministry rules, Primary Health Organisations must provide a comprehensive range of primary health services.
* But not every contracted medical practice has to provide the full range.
* The Medical Association's code of ethics lets doctors refuse to care for a particular patient if alternative care is available and the patient knows how to access it, although not in emergencies, and the code does not permit illegal discrimination.
I'm sure this doctor is sincere, but I think his reasoning leaves a lot to be desired, Scripturally and otherwise. I am religious. I would personally never have an abortion. But if I ever was to get pregnant, it would be the second immaculate conception, as I got myself snipped a long time ago.
The Bible says nothing about birth control, people. This is a Catholic tradition, nothing more, and has nothing to do with what God wants. If the Scriptures are silent about married people limiting the size of their families, then I think God wants us to use our intellect and decide how many children we can care for. In my case, that's an absolute zero. The Scriptures also state the way we as Christians live applies only to those who wish to conform their lives to what God says...meaning we have no right to impose our views on anyone else.
Therefore, what this doctor is doing is flat-out wrong, Catholic teaching or no Catholic teaching. I work as a pharmacy technician, and I have no trouble at all filling birth control for my patients. Their conciences and actions are their problem, not mine. Paul even stated, in Romans 14:12, that "each of us will give an account of himself to God." Forcing someone else to live by your standards is not coming down on the positive side of that ledger.
Catholic GP's stance 'could lift rate of teen pregnancy'
17.10.05
By Martin Johnston
A women's health lobbyist fears that Catholic doctors' refusal to prescribe contraceptive pills risks pushing the nation's already high teenage pregnancy rate even higher.
A Nelson Catholic and general practitioner has told 50 female patients that for religious reasons he will no longer prescribe artificial contraception.
Others in Auckland are considering similar action.
Auckland Women's Health Council co-ordinator Lynda Williams said yesterday that prescribing contraceptives to teenage girls when they sought them was vital.
Not doing so would increase teenage pregnancies, "unless they are given timely referrals and urged to go immediately to another provider".
"It's very much an opportunistic thing. You've got to seize the moment, not make them go off and make another appointment somewhere. Teenagers are very 'now' people."
She was also concerned about rural women missing out on services they wanted if their area's sole GP refused to provide them.
Nelson GP Dr Joseph Hassan, a 40-year-old married father of four, wrote to the 50 patients a fortnight ago telling them he would no longer prescribe contraceptives or refer women for sterilisation.
The letter, which listed doctors who would provide the services, told patients their fertility was a gift to be looked after and not something to be treated with medication like a disease.
"I have done this in response to a personal journey," he told the Herald. " ... I have been praying about God's direction on this in my life. Over the last few weeks, in various ways, I have felt this is the direction I should take."
Dr Hassan, who also opposes abortion and has set up a crisis support programme as an alternative, said he had long been troubled by the conflict between the Church's teaching on contraception and his medical practice. He said other doctors would prescribe contraception and his move would not increase the teen pregnancy rate, which was due to other factors, "not just a lack of contraception".
New Zealand has the third-highest teenage pregnancy rate in the developed world. In 2002, 3 per cent of female teenagers aged between 15 and 19 became pregnant.
Ms Williams said she was surprised by Dr Hassan's move. "It's really out-of-the-Ark stuff these days."
Dr Hassan said he knew of at least five other Catholic GPs who had had "a similar kind of journey to me".
Women's Health Action director Jo Fitzpatrick said she did not object to GPs following Dr Hassan's decision, as long as they made their stance known, so women did not turn up only to be refused.
Catholic Church spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said his move was in accord with the Church's teaching.
Dr Hassan is the sole doctor at his suburban clinic and he receives Government money through a Primary Health Organisation (PHO). The Health Ministry says PHOs must provide a comprehensive range of primary health services, but not every contracted medical practice has to provide every service.
The rules
* Under Health Ministry rules, Primary Health Organisations must provide a comprehensive range of primary health services.
* But not every contracted medical practice has to provide the full range.
* The Medical Association's code of ethics lets doctors refuse to care for a particular patient if alternative care is available and the patient knows how to access it, although not in emergencies, and the code does not permit illegal discrimination.
I'm sure this doctor is sincere, but I think his reasoning leaves a lot to be desired, Scripturally and otherwise. I am religious. I would personally never have an abortion. But if I ever was to get pregnant, it would be the second immaculate conception, as I got myself snipped a long time ago.
The Bible says nothing about birth control, people. This is a Catholic tradition, nothing more, and has nothing to do with what God wants. If the Scriptures are silent about married people limiting the size of their families, then I think God wants us to use our intellect and decide how many children we can care for. In my case, that's an absolute zero. The Scriptures also state the way we as Christians live applies only to those who wish to conform their lives to what God says...meaning we have no right to impose our views on anyone else.
Therefore, what this doctor is doing is flat-out wrong, Catholic teaching or no Catholic teaching. I work as a pharmacy technician, and I have no trouble at all filling birth control for my patients. Their conciences and actions are their problem, not mine. Paul even stated, in Romans 14:12, that "each of us will give an account of himself to God." Forcing someone else to live by your standards is not coming down on the positive side of that ledger.
Tags:
no subject
Date: 10/17/05 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/17/05 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/18/05 06:18 am (UTC)It shouldn't matter whether you or I think he is theologically correct. If that is what he believes, then he shouldn't have to go against his beliefs.
no subject
Date: 10/18/05 06:26 am (UTC)He is not doing that. He is not telling people they cannot use birth control. He is saying he thinks it's wrong and he cannot in good conscience dispense something he believes is a sin.
If I think abortion is a sin, one consequence is that I would not get one if I found myself pregnant. Another consequence would be an unwillingness to provide one even I were a doctor.
How is this different?