Ok, so admittedly this link is an opinion piece: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/04/28/carr.abortion.oklahoma/index.html?hpt=T2. Full disclaimer: I got my "facts" from this opinion piece.

I REALLY don't want to start an abortion debate here. Please please please. I just want to talk about the fact that this legislation seems to interfere with patients' ability to trust their physician, and that seems so wrong to me. This bill seems incredibly unethical, in that it basically allows physicians to lie to their patients. Is anyone else as appalled by this as I am?

I plan to become an OB/GYN, and I am a conservative, but I also believe in the ethical principles of autonomy. I am not in favor of that much of a dose of paternally-driven medicine. Ugh. I would never lie to my patient. That is not empowering them to a make a decision - a decision that I may not agree with, but is still THEIR decision.

It even goes beyond the Decision with a capital D. Regardless of the possibility of abortion, a woman should be able to use available information to plan for the probable outcome of a pregnancy. As just one small example, why should a mother be surprised by the birth of a baby with Downs syndrome if she could just as easily been informed months in advance, and prepared herself for the different developmental course she could expect? I guess my point is that this legislation isn't just about abortion.

If reporting the results truthfully is optional, will insurance co's and public funding sources still reimburse for fetal ultrasounds?

That's ridiculous. I'm also annoyed that she says pro-life people are claiming that as a victory. Um, no.

Yeah, I'm sure there's some small subset of pro-life people who view it as a victory, but it's unreasonable to generalize like that. Reasonable people on both sides of the abortion debate will find this law equally absurd.

I think it is appalling. How could any doctor worth their oath outright lie to a patient? It is unethical. Here is another link about their U/S law...

http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/146662/shocking_law:_doctors_now_allowed_to_keep_information_about_birth_defects_from_women_in_order_to_stop_abortions?page=2

docmomof3, can you post the link again? I could not get into it.
It is just plain creeeeeepy! I am sure the other Pediatricians on this site agree with me that a birth of a special needs child that is expected is such a better thing for the family. I have seen Down Syndrome babies born unexpectedly and this is such a hard thing for the family. I have also seen Down Syndrome babies born when the family knew about and prepared for and welcomed that baby. This legislation is just plain wrong. Let's hope there will be a legal challenge to it.

Wow, thanks for posting. This made my stomach turn. How can they do this with the informed consent laws that are in place? I thought there was a federal law stating patients had a right to thier medical records?

yeah, that's pretty crazy huh? Unethical.

General question: This info came from an opinion column...so I thought, hmmmm, maybe I'll look up the actual bill because surely this can't be true....how the heck do you look up actual legislation? Seriously, I've tried to look up bills etc before and I'm never successful. Why is that stuff so hard to find? Shouldn't it be easy to read what the gov is doing?

I am sitting here wondering how any of those legislators can live with themselves?!?!?!

I just got back quad screen results, which were beautiful, and have my 20 week u/s scheduled for tomorrow. I feel that my trust in my provider would be SO violated, I could never see them again. If you aren't comfortable discussing that information honestly with your patients- change you patient population!

Has anyone found the actual language? Do they also block a woman from obtaining her medical records? If I were living in OK, I think I would demand a copy of all lab results and procedure reports!

Again, another state off my potential residency locations. First AZ (my family is Hispanic- not putting them through that) and now this.

At this rate, residency app decisions will be a snap.

well if there is a conflict between the state and federal laws, the federal laws will take precedence...I can't believe I did not hear about this in the news or anywhere else!

Here's an update from the NY Times:


Here are the two OK laws on abortion:
Oklahoma law requiring an ultrasound before abortion
Oklahoma law preventing lawsuit for "wrongful birth"

Thanks for the links, I couldn't get the one i posted to work, even though it worked when i read it!