Doctor Tells Fellow Physicians: No Coercive Ultrasounds – It’s Rape

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.care2.com/causes/doctor-tells-fellow-physicians-no-coercive-ultrasounds-its-rape.html

by Joel Boyce
March 21, 2012
11:00 am



A physician has (anonymously) spoken out about recent state bills which would require women to submit to invasive transvaginal ultrasounds before being allowed to terminate a pregnancy. Similar bills have been proposed in Pennsylvania, Idaho and Virginia. The Idaho bill has passed the senate vote, although five Republican and seven Democrat senators opposed it, and is expected to pass at the House committee vote as well.

The unnamed physician wrote a sort of manifesto on medical ethics, calling on her or his fellow medical doctors to recall their medical oaths, and refuse to be political tools. It was published on science fiction author John Scalzi’s popular blog, Whatever, who vouches for the qualifications of the writer without revealing identifying information. The opening paragraphs take a similar position to that previously adopted by Doonesbury writer, Gary Trudeau:

I do not feel that it is reactionary or even inaccurate to describe an unwanted, non-indicated transvaginal ultrasound as “rape”. If I insert ANY object into ANY orifice without informed consent, it is rape. And coercion of any kind negates consent, informed or otherwise.

And

After all, it’s our hands that will supposedly be used to insert medical equipment (tools of HEALING, for the sake of all that is good and holy) into the vaginas of coerced women.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/doctor-tells-fellow-physicians-no-coercive-ultrasounds-its-rape.html#ixzz1ptdtlKDx


FULL story at link.

[rocktivity]

1. Well, duh.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125113776

But I'm glad they're striking back, because it is not only the commission of the crime of rape, but also the crimes of harassment, psychological torture, witness intimidation, and poltiticans practicing medicine without a license. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!


rocktivity

[calimary]

2. Hot Diggity-Dog! They're finally calling it what it IS: Absolute Rape.

Forcible entry into a woman's vagina against her will - IS exactly that. It's rape. And worst of all, THIS particular rape is state-sanctioned. Government-mandated. By the same 12th-Century mindset that loudly clangs about the need for less intrusive government! When they talk about how they simply MUST have smaller government, now we know what size they actually have in mind.

This makes me SO MAD. I'm angry that I've been forced also to become a "one-issue voter." I have a litmus test that I need to exercise with every vote on every candidate and ballot measure for my consideration. But it's THAT important to me as a woman, and as the mother of a daughter of child-bearing age. That fucker limbaugh as much as called MY daughter a "slut" and a "prostitute" because she too was prescribed contraceptives for MEDICAL reasons, not for anything having to do with sex! Her legitimate and serious need for that prescription arose LONG before she was ever sexually active.

I'm glad to see this. I hope other physicians stand up, too. This has gone WAY too far!!! I hope doctors from coast-to-coast vow to keep politics (and all its accompanying bedroom busybodies as well) OUT of the examining room where it DOES NOT belong. If for no other reason, they should object to politicians endeavoring to practice medicine without a license.

[northoftheborder]

3. I can't understand why doctors have not stood up against these laws before this.

[elias7]

5. before what? Virginia passed two laws on Feb 15th of this year

the first virtually outlawed abortions as it defined life as the moment a sperm and egg unite, making the second law- the transvag US- moot, as having an abortion by law #1 would be commiting murder.

So doctors in the 49 other states where this 5 week old law doesn't exist have not spoken out to your satisfaction? Talk about holding folks to high expectations.

[niyad]

7. ummm, have you been asleep? how is it that you have missed all the other laws being passed

all around the country like this?

[elias7]

8. Ok, I give up. Who else has passed a Transvaginal ultrasound law?

Because that is what were talking about here, isn't it?

[leftynyc]

9. Texas for one

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/817507/texas'_war_on_women_includes_those_transvaginal_ultrasounds/


Like the failed Virginia law, the 2011 Texas bill forces women to receive the medically unnecessary and intrusive “transvaginal ultrasound.” This is because the majority of women get abortions during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, when the fetus is too small to be picked up on in an abdominal ultrasound, so a transvaginal probe must be used. In other words, Texan women in need of abortion services are forced to be vaginally penetrated without a choice of whether to consent. Notably, Texas Penal Code defines sexual assault as “intentionally or knowingly caus[ing] the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person’s consent.”

[elias7]

11. right, but that only went into effect 2/6/12

it was supposed to go into effect 10/1/11, but a judge ruled interestingly that the law violated the 1st amendment right of physicians and that it was constitutionally vague.

The point is that the poster asked why physicians haven't stood up before this. A lot of people, including physicians have been standing up; that is how the texas law got into the court system. Physicians have been fighting on the pro-choice side of the abortion issue for years, but that seems to have escaped the poster's notice.

[annm4peace]

4. Thank you

I hope Dr's refuse to comply. It is rape and it is shame of these legislators.

[niyad]

6. I posted this story yesterday, but it needs to be kept in front of everyone, so thanks

[niyad]

10. kick