Mosaic Intersections

Happy New Year!! Maybe. I know I have taken some time away. I needed to determine how best to respond to the changes occurring in our country.  I realize I may not be able to completely articulate my thoughts but I will start the conversation and invite my colleagues to join me and keep the conversation going.  I am also trying to bring awareness to pregnancy conditions that don’t always lead to the anticipated outcome of a healthy parent and baby.

I posted my reflections in a FB post, check it out here:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007085744532. I am sharing my public opposition to house bill H.R.586 – To provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007085744532.

If “non” medically trained experts in the art and science of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences, Infertility and Endocrinology (i.e., politicians specifically Senators & Representatives from the Republican Party) make the political decision to define life at fertilization, I can only imagine how many pregnant persons seeking evaluation in the office, clinic, emergency room, and/or labor and delivery for conditions including but not limited to threatened, missed, incomplete, and complete miscarriages, molar pregnancies or any of the gestational trophoblastic diseases or neoplasias (pregnancies that do NOT result in babies but are actually cancers of the cells of pregnancies), hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea vomiting with other complications that require hospitalization and sometimes medical terminations), tubal (ectopic) pregnancies, which require medical and/or surgical treatment, will be “inappropriately cared and possibly die and/or suffer irreparable consequences affecting their present and future sexual AND reproductive agency, autonomy, potential, and well-being” because government officials will be telling me, a ObGyn scientist, physician, and surgeon, and others like me, how to care for pregnant persons.

If you voted for Trump and you or someone you loved has been affected by any of the above, consider the reality that now you or they may NOT have the life-saving procedure to stop your/their hemorrhage, prevent rupture of your/their Fallopian tube (and possibly subsequent hemorrhage, infertility, and death), or terminate a pregnancy that jeopardizes the life and wellbeing of the pregnant person because non-medically trained experts are attempting to define life at fertilization.

If you want to ensure sexual and reproductive health equity, access, acceptability, and availability for ALL persons along the continuum of contemplation, preconception (before pregnancy), pregnancy, and interconception (between pregnancies) care, then I implore you to contact your local, state, and federal officials and share your opposition to the assault on sexual and reproductive health, health care, rights, agency, and autonomy.

Abortion care is health care.
Women’s rights are human rights.
Reproductive AND Sexual health care are human rights.

US government officials, law makers, politicians, senators, and representatives, you have absolutely no authority, education, expertise, experience, nor ethical duty to make shared medical decisions or participate in communication between physician and patient.

If I recall, I took the Hippocratic oath, you did not.

The consequences of this bill are monumental and the blood will be upon your hands. And this is NOT an alternative fact.

Signed,

Scotty

Board Certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology