The article exposed an important, but little-discussed health care issue: That many Catholic and conservative Christian health care providers deny women a range of standard, legal health care medical care-declining, even, to inform patients about such treatments-due to the doctors’ personal beliefs. It’s a phenomenon playing itself out not just in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms nationwide, but also in state legislatures, where activists are introducing bills to further widen doctors’ refusal rights.
Judges’ Comments: This article describes how states vary in their laws authorizing physicians, hospitals and pharmacists to refuse to prescribe or carry out sterilization, abortion, contraceptive services or procedures. She includes useful examples of specific providers and patients.