Blending in

Can you imagine something so un-intrusive would get the pro-death crowd so worked up?

 

The article in the Washington Post highlights a clinic that "blends health and faith". 

The practice combines "the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ," a brochure at the reception desk announces. An image of the Madonna greets every patient. Doctors, nurses and staff gather to pray each day before the first appointments.

Being it offers OB services, I am hoping one will open in our neighborhood soon.  My wife has long lamented the lack of any pro-life physicians around.

the care they provide to the religious beliefs of their doctors, shunning birth-control and morning-after pills, IUDs and other contraceptive devices, sterilizations, and abortions, as well as in vitro fertilization. Instead, doctors offer "natural family planning"

Wow, imagine going into visit the OB and not seeing adds for the Pill or encountering condom bouquets in the bathrooms.  As this seems quite a bad business practice for an OB, they must get good kickbacks for offering this stuff.

 

But to make sure the article is "balanced" they include the typical whining about religion being opposed to science or medicine.

"If women know before selecting them, then it's quite a legitimate thing to do and might meet the needs of many women and doctors," said Anita L. Nelson of the University of California at Los Angeles, speaking for the organization. "But if you hang out your shingle that says 'All-purpose OB-GYN' and don't offer certain services, that's false advertising."

Never mind that you can't even avoid cross-eyed looks or blank stares when mentioning NFP in the "all-purpose OB-GYN" offices.  And I love this quote by a woman that was surprised a doctor wouldn't prescribe the Pill for her:

"It caught me completely off guard," said Elizabeth Dotts, 25, who had a similar experience in Birmingham. "I felt like he was judging me and putting pressure on me. . . . I am the patient. I am the client. It should have been about me -- what I needed. Not what he needed or believed."[emphasis added]

If that don't sum up the whole problem?

Some experts say such practices are providing substandard care if they do not fully inform patients about all options.

"It's not enough for someone to advertise 'We provide natural family planning' or have a sign up in the waiting room that says 'Only natural family planning available here,' " said Jeffrey L. Ecker, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Harvard Medical School. "The assumption shouldn't be that patients understand exactly what that means. The doctor has an obligation to fully explain all options to their patients."

Again, we are missing the ALL OPTIONS in our current doctor's office.  I guess my daughter should have the right to be offended if an OB mentions the pill then.  They don't have a sign that states they may want to kill your baby in their office.  And of course no article can mention NFP without insinuating the dark ages.

Some experts also criticize doctors who represent natural family planning as being as effective as birth-control pills, patches and other medical approaches.

"To suggest they are equivalent to modern methods is simply incorrect," said David A. Grimes of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. "These methods do not compare favorably in terms of effectiveness, acceptability and continuation rates."

Of course NFP isn't equivalent to artificial birth control.  It is far superior, scientifically, medically, morally and is much safer alternative. 

 

But, the article does a good job of bringing to light the need for these options in healthcare.  And the One More Soul site  gets a mention.