tions, which are medically unnecessary. If
interference in your medical care by medically untrained politicians is not enough
to encourage you to oppose these bills, you
should be aware that TRAP laws can be
misleading in that they are not being directed only towards abortion providers. This
proposed legislation seeks also to regulate
and place restrictions on all obstetricians/
gynecologists, family medicine physicians
and any other physicians, counselors or
health care team members you might look to
in connection with family planning issues.
Senate Bill 7, for example, was the “defund
Planned Parenthood” bill that would classify as an abortion provider any entity who
counsels, refers or offers any information
on abortion to a patient. That entity would
no longer be able to receive state funding.
This bill was shut down during the latest
legislative session but other ones like it have
passed in other states close to here, and
are likely to be seen again during the next
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
session. The mere fact that bills like this
put restrictions on what information health
care providers are allowed to discuss with
patients interferes with, and is devastating
to the physician-patient relationship, which
requires trust in order to preserve health.
When you become a physician, you take
an oath, and in that oath you promise to
“do no harm.” We learn that this is achieved
through unbiased, non-judgmental health
care. This is especially important in the
field of obstetrics and gynecology, because
it means presenting pregnant women who
no longer wish to be pregnant with every
option available, including safe and legal
abortion care. History has proven the importance of this time and time again; not
providing women with these options can
lead to harm. If Kentucky’s health care providers are not allowed to fully discuss all
possible options available to their patients,
they are not able to fulfill their responsibilities. If physicians in this state are no longer
able to perform their jobs fully or carry out
what they see as their sworn duty to their
patients, it will no longer be an attractive
place for them to live and practice medicine.
If you value the quality of your health care,
it is time for you to stand up, oppose and
shut down these proposed TRAP laws, and
return the art of healing, trust and compassion back to our city’s health care providers, in whose capable, trained hands they
belong.
Danielle Berera, Caitlin Gambrell, Courtney Spensley, and Marlowe Dieckmann are
all incoming fourth year medical students
at the University of Louisville. Rina Perlin is a second year medical student at the
University of Louisville.