Restrictions on access to the full range of reproductive care imposes hardships
Along with the outlined directives concerning reproductive care the impact of the restrictions on reproductive rights cannot be ignored. Patients are forced to travel for needed care if they have the means to do so at all. Here are some examples of the impact:
- A man in Colville, after having six children, wanted a vasectomy. He was denied the procedure at his local faith-based hospital and had to travel 65 miles to Spokane for the procedure.
- A woman in the Tacoma area who had four children was pregnant with twins. A C-section was planned for delivery. She requested a tubal ligation at the time of the birth. She was denied this procedure because she was receiving care at a Catholic hospital. She and her family had to change their birth plan and their obstetrician to get the care she requested at a local secular hospital.
Fortunately, the family in this last example had choices – they could choose another hospital. Many others in the state do not have these choices. They may be required to undergo a separate surgical procedure elsewhere, risking untoward outcomes such as infection. There is also the added cost not only for the woman but for insurance companies.
Statistics show that over half of women request some form of birth control after giving birth. Many pregnant women seeking reproductive care are forced to carry pregnancy to term and then denied contraception.