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Is there any law or moral/ethical obligation?
Psycho Doctor said:Is there any law or moral/ethical obligation?
Mr. Seeds said:I would imagine that if they are against abortion, they'd be in a specialty that doesn't involve performing abortions.
ambrosia said:When you get an abortion, it is generally performed by a gynecologist. However, the vast majority of gynecologists do not perform abortions, so yes it is definitley possible to be a gynecologist who doesn't perform abortions. I'm sure that if you didn't want to provide that service, no hospital or medical system would force you to do so - but you probably would have an obligation to pass your patients who are interested in abortions along to another doctor who does perform them. Thats just my thoughts, I don't really know exactly how it all works!
Garuda said:The last part is incorrect. You are under no moral or legal obligation to act complicitly in an abortion by referring the patient to an abortionist.
Do doctors Have to perform abortions if they are opposed to it?
freaker said:A friend of mine has a mother who is a nurse. They attempted to force her to perform an abortion because they were short-staffed, gave her hell, and when she threatened to sue, they backed off.
You're under no obligation whatsoever to assist in an abortion.
Psycho Doctor said:yikes, those are the cases i was concerned about
that's ok, i wouldn't have a problem with that; thanksstinkycheese said:Although you're not obliged to perform abortions, I believe a doctor is required to provide post-abortion care... not sure though.
stinkycheese said:Although you're not obliged to perform abortions, I believe a doctor is required to provide post-abortion care... not sure though.
Just a point to ponder:Psycho Doctor said:Is there any law or moral/ethical obligation?
constructor said:i think that in this case the patient's immediate relatives' decision would take precedence over any decisions the doctor makes. but can the doctor choose not to perform euthanasia if he is opposed to it even if the relatives want it?
roja said:Psycho Doctor-
You are not obligated to perform a procedure you are morally or ethicallly opposed to. However, I think most MD's, especially those trained in medical ethics, would deem refusing to refer a patient to someone who performed the procedure (especially based on YOUR beliefs) unethical.
Are you going to refuse a patient birth control because you are catholic? Or refuse to council on STD prevention because you don't believe in AIDS?
Physician's have every right to uphold thier own beliefs. However, they do not have the right to deny patient's treatment and force thier own beliefs on others.
minime said:There is absolutely nothing unethical about not refering a patient for an abortion.
In my own practice I will counsel patients on the many negative aspects of abortion (including psychological) and also bring up the many alternatives to abortion. I will not refer anyone to an abortionist-ever. To me, it would be the same as having a hitman kill someone for me.
From experience with patients who have had abortions and patients who have carried their child and given it up for adoption I would say that the ones who chose to keep their baby are much more psychologically stable.
roja said:Psycho Doctor-
You are not obligated to perform a procedure you are morally or ethicallly opposed to. However, I think most MD's, especially those trained in medical ethics, would deem refusing to refer a patient to someone who performed the procedure (especially based on YOUR beliefs) unethical.
Are you going to refuse a patient birth control because you are catholic? Or refuse to council on STD prevention because you don't believe in AIDS?
Physician's have every right to uphold thier own beliefs. However, they do not have the right to deny patient's treatment and force thier own beliefs on others.
minime said:There is absolutely nothing unethical about not refering a patient for an abortion.
In my own practice I will counsel patients on the many negative aspects of abortion (including psychological) and also bring up the many alternatives to abortion. I will not refer anyone to an abortionist-ever. To me, it would be the same as having a hitman kill someone for me.
From experience with patients who have had abortions and patients who have carried their child and given it up for adoption I would say that the ones who chose to keep their baby are much more psychologically stable.
roja said:I'm curious- what practice is this? As your previous posting has you as a fourth year medical student in 2004.
Psycho Doctor said:first of all, i'm not catholic and i don't have anything against birth control pills; that's very different from abortion. One is merely preventing conception...life, the other is killing life, that which was already conceived.
Don't believe in AIDS??? AIDS is a very real disease, how can one not believe in it? BTW, i have volunteered in an AIDS hospice and held the hands of dying AIDS patients...so i do believe it is real. Of course i'd counsel people and instruct them on STDs....where did you get the idea from that i would be opposed to it?
I would not deny patients treatment of any kind...all i said is i could not perform an abortion....and i didn't think standing by my beliefs would be infliciting it on my patients.
constructor said:roja, since you're an ms could you help me with this? this goes back to my previous post to which i didn't get an answer, but just a cheap jab about how ignorant i am about this.
i know physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal in almost every state and that the AMA protects me from having to carry out these practices if i'm against them. but what if the family wants it and the patient wants it? to whom would i defer my decision if i didn't feel like doing it but thought it was the right thing to do? ethicists only make recommendations right? is there any way to leave the doctor out of actively mercy-killing someone?
Psycho Doctor said:yea i suppose, didn't know if you could ever be calle din to assit if ypu're covering a related practice.
are you forced to observe/assist in med school/residency?
Psycho Doctor said:Is there any law or moral/ethical obligation?