As a long time patient advocate at several New York City Abortion Clinics I wanted to chime in with an opinion about these hearings
. Over the years I have referred many patient to Dr Tillers Clinic while he was still alive and never feared for the quality of care both medical and psychological that our patients received. The complaints being brought against Dr Neuhaus are just another attempt to defame the brave medical providers that perform abortions as a necessary and important part of womens health care. These accusations are part of the ongoing battle by anti-choice groups to take away womens rights to determine when and if they will have children.
My question to these groups is the following: How much suffering is enough? What you are trying to claim by attacking Dr Neuhaus is that her record keeping was not adequate however standardized notes are common practice when it comes to psychiatric evaluation because the issues of patient confidentiality. Often when people are evaluated or in counseling notes are taken to provide basic information to professionals that need it but the details remain between the patient and the doctor or psychologist doing the evaluation. Claiming that this is not appropriate standard of care is a questionable ploy.
What is really being attacked here is whether a woman or girl in these cases as suffered enough to be allowed to decide their reproductive fate. If it fair to ask a 10 year old girl, below the age of consent, to go through child birth which will change her life forever? Or does she only have rights if she is a victim of server trauma? I think that even anti-choice groups would have a hard time denying that these cases need to be examined carefully and the psychological harm to the woman or girl should be considered. Doctors, psychologists, social workers and counselors who make these assessments should be respected and commended for the difficult job they are performing. They should not be publically attacked and threatened with losing their licenses.