Do no harm

Here is a wonderful write-up by a physician, commenting on the barrage of political actions aiming to impede the ability of physicians to serve their patients.

I got sucked into reading the comments for a good 15 minutes. I wanted to point out one commenter who said, "I’m sure there are just as many doctors and nurses who feel uncomfortable dealing with abortion as those who feel uncomfortable doing these required ultrasounds.". My initial reaction (and several of the commenters' responses), is that one of these is legally required, and one is not. In fact, there have been several instances where medical practitioners refused to participate in abortions, even when the woman's life is at risk - such a case just occurred at my Dad's hospital a few weeks ago, and it was only by luck that another physician, willing to conduct the procedure, arrived in time to save her life.

It frustrates me to no end that a woman's death would have been legally allowed, but it is, in some states, illegal to NOT force an ultrasound want into her vagina (remembering, as the good doctor points out in her/his write-up, coercion negates consent).