The research, published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, is based on interviews with 27 religiously and geographically diverse obstetricians who have worked in Catholic healthcare facilities. In some Catholic facilities, hospital authorities actively discouraged physician referrals for reproductive services, or kept them hidden, study authors concluded.
Respondents told the researchers they felt referrals weren’t always sufficient in a number of cases, including for low-income patients, patients with urgent medical conditions, and patients interested in undergoing sterilization,,according the study. Additionally, the authors found patients in need of referrals for abortion were given less support than those seeking help for other prohibited services.
“The OB-GYNs we interviewed said that at some Catholic hospitals, referrals to Planned Parenthood, public health clinics, or non-Catholic hospitals were commonly offered, but other Catholic hospitals discouraged these referrals, or doctors had to provide them in secret,” Debra Stulberg, MD, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “OB-GYNs also reported that some Catholic hospitals provided patients with full information and helpful referrals for a range of services but left patients to fend for themselves in seeking an abortion.”
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