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Study Finds Many US Catholic Hospitals Hand out Abortion Drugs - Names Them

By John-Henry Westen

SAN FRANCISCO, February 3, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Despite the fact that so-called "emergency contraception" (EC) can cause early abortions; a new study has found that only 35% of the Catholic hospitals surveyed indicated that EC is not available at the hospital.  The study was conducted in four states in which the law discriminates against those do not wish to participate in abortion by requiring the abortion-causing drugs be made available or suggested in emergency rooms for sexual assault patients.

The study was carried out by Ibis Reproductive Health and commissioned by the pro-abortion anti-Catholic group misnamed "Catholics for a Free Choice" (CFFC).  At the time of this study (1995), California, New Mexico, New York and Washington had laws mandating EC in emergency rooms without exceptions for Catholic hospitals.

Dr. John Shea, the medical consultant for the pro-life group Campaign Life Coalition told LifeSiteNews.com that the distinct possibility that the drugs could cause the death of an unborn child should be more than enough for any Catholic hospital to refuse to associate themselves with them.  "Since nobody can tell whether or not the woman has ovulated and nobody can say definitely that the drug will not act as an abortifacient, therefore you can't use it," said Dr. Shea.

When asked what to do about the state laws, Dr. Shea responded, "They obey the law of God before the state.  Even Cicero stated that God's natural law trumped all temporary laws."

In April 2005, study staff telephoned 94 Catholic hospital emergency departments to assess the likelihood that a female client calling to inquire about EC would have access to either the pills or a prescription.

The study listed appendices which named the hospitals surveyed.  Several Catholic hospitals were listed which handed out the abortifacient drugs on demand, going beyond the state-mandate of counselling and/or provision of the drugs only for sexual assault victims.

The Catholic hospitals listed by the study as providing the abortifacient drugs on demand are:
Mount Carmel, Colville, WA
Providence Centralia, Centralia, WA
Providence Everett, Everett, WA
St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood, WA
Providence Everett, Everett, WA
Mount Carmel, Colville, WA
St. Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson, NY
St. Francis Hospital, Poughkeepsie, NY
St. Joseph's Hospital, Syracuse, NY
Mercy Med Ctr, Rockville Centre, NY
Little Company, San Pedro, CA
Marian Med Ctr, Santa Maria, CA
Mission Hospital Mission, Viejo, CA
O'Connor Hospital, San Jose, CA
Queen of the Valley Hospital, Napa, CA
Saint John's Health Ctr, Santa Monica, CA

See the full study online:
http://www.cath4choice.org/topics/healthcare/documents/2006complyingwiththelaw.p...

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