ast November, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) released their ethics opinion, entitled “The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine,” in which they demand that all ob/gyns make abortion available to patients, whether by offering the procedure themselves or referring the patient to another doctor who does.

This Opinion came as a surprise to many U.S. ob/gyns, since no consultation or vote was taken, nor was there a period of notice and comment. Many Catholic doctors, and others who conscientiously believe that abortion involves the killing of an unborn child, were left stunned and angry, arguing that the new guidelines were unfair and outrageous.

The Catholic Medical Association (CMA), the nation’s largest professional organization of Catholic physicians, recently issued its formal response to the ACOG’s Committee on Ethics Opinion. The letter, written by CMA president, Kathleen M. Raviele, M.D., FACOG, argues that the ethics opinion “suffered from substantial flaws in ethical analysis,” “created guidelines that were too vague and contentious to be effective,” and “proposed solutions that were unjust, unworkable, and harmful to the profession of medicine.”

Dr. Raviele said,

The committee that wrote this opinion shows no respect for the beliefs of others. They have moved from believing that abortion should be legal to defining it as ‘standard care’ under reproductive services. If physicians refuse to go along with these demands they risk having an ethics complaint filed against them, and this could cause them to lose their certification through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The CMA’s Executive Director, John F. Brehany, Ph.D., added the following:

The opinion actually discourages physicians from exercising ethical judgment in daily practice; it tells them that this is a job for professional organizations. … Moreover, the opinion suggests that physicians need ’scripting’ to explain issues to patients. It says that doctors must employ ‘professionally accepted characterizations of reproductive services’.

It is still important for ACOG to hear the protests of physicians and the general public regarding their condescending and unreasonable Opinion. Hurry, because the Committee on Ethics is going to meet in mid-March and will review (and hopefully reconsider) its Opinion. You can write to the ACOG president,

Kenneth L. Noller, M.D.
Board President
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
409 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20090-6920

The CMA is accessible at www.cathmed.org.