Informed consent is considered a pillar of civilized healthcare. When you’re vulnerable and someone (like a doctor) is in a position of power over you, you want to know what they’re doing to you and why. It’s a fair expectation. The American Medical Association (AMA) notes:
“Informed consent to medical treatment is fundamental in both ethics and law. Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments so that they can make well-considered decisions about care. Successful communication in the patient-physician relationship fosters trust and supports shared decision making.”
The AMA has pages and pages of content related to informed consent and its importance to fostering a climate of respect towards patients. It’s considered part of the Code of Medical Ethics. The AMA also holds, “Withholding pertinent medical information from patients in the belief that disclosure is medically contraindicated creates a conflict between the physician’s obligations to promote patient welfare and to respect patient autonomy.”
How interesting to the legions of women who visited an abortion business and were sold an abortion yet were not afforded the right to informed consent. The entire abortion industry, led by Planned Parenthood, put a lot of time and money into trying to convince politicians and the public that they are “actual healthcare.” Yet they repeatedly try to duck out of standard healthcare practices like this.
Anecdotal reports abound. HBO even did a documentary in 2017 called “Abortion: Stories Women Tell.” Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director in Texas who became a pro-life advocate, has shared on countless occasions how their facility misled women into choosing abortion by fibbing about what the procedure actually entailed. Students for Life of America has multiple post-abortive women’s testimonies housed on YouTube, including Jocelyn’s story of being betrayed by Planned Parenthood.
“I didn’t know the risks.”
“I didn’t know how abortion actually worked.”
“I wasn’t given info about any other choices.”
Abortion, for many women, is one of the biggest choices they will ever make. And many abortion businesses’ refusal to grant them informed consent is a betrayal of colossal proportions.
But the transgression doesn’t end at a failure to provide informed consent. In most states, a person must be properly licensed to “counsel” women prior to abortion. Again, Abby Johnson, who worked as a Planned Parenthood “counselor,” shared as part of her Unplanned story that she was instructed to push women into abortion and sell as many as possible. Her ability to do so effectively is why she was promoted very quickly to facility director.
There are abortion facilities that have been caught either shirking this part altogether or allowing unlicensed personnel to carry it out. At EMW Women’s Surgical Facility in Louisville Kentucky, Reprotection discovered their “counselor” was not properly licensed. In fact, they had their office manager doing the counseling. We filed an official complaint, and the Board of Social Work sent EMW and the office manager a cease and desist order. Fortunately, the office manager’s title was changed on the facility’s website and she allegedly stopped “counseling” abortion clients. But, unfortunately, this is a rare victory as far as abortion facility regulation & accountability (though it does exemplify why it’s so important to take action when you see something improper happening).
Abortion poses countless physical and psychological risks to women, yet all evidence suggests they are not being presented with this information prior to undergoing it. If women are not being given accurate and complete information or even being briefed by a qualified caregiver, it’s literally impossible for them to give informed consent. Consider, too, that Planned Parenthood has been caught selling the body parts of babies they abort. Should mothers reserve the right to consent that their children’s parts be used in such a way?
Women deserve better than deception and omission. If abortion businesses want to be treated like “actual healthcare,” they should probably consider doing at least the bare minimum. Oh, and not killing people. But… baby steps.