http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21041231-2702,00.html

 

Church bars raped women from pill

• Adam Cresswell, Health editor
• January 11, 2007

SEXUALLY assaulted women who seek help at Catholic-controlledhospitals cannot be referred to rape crisis centres that supply morning-afterpills, under church policy.

The policy, spelt out in an 80-page ethics document, hasheightened concerns among doctors and rape counsellors about the CatholicChurch's growing control of hospitals.

And The Australian reveals today that another fertility centre has been toldto move out by the Catholic buyers of the hospital where it is based. Oneprominent doctor said she had long been concerned at the church's rape policy,which is contained in an ethics document approved by the Catholic hierarchy in2001.

The Code of Ethical Standards, compiled by Catholic Health Australia, saysdirect referral of raped women to centres that offer the morning-after pill"should only occur if reasonable steps have been taken to exclude the likelihoodof pregnancy".

Senior Catholic spokesmen defended the policy as a logical and ethicalextension of the church's opposition to the morning-after pill, which itconsiders morally no different to abortion. But Melbourne GP and medicalbroadcaster Sally Cockburn said she was "blown out of the water" when she readthe policy.

"If this is the way their staff are mandated to behave, then I don't believerape victims should be taken to their hospitals at all," Dr Cockburn said.

"They have no right to make us follow their point of view, and if they'regoing to be taking over more hospitals, I'm concerned."

Karen Willis, of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre, said it was standard practicefor a raped woman to be offered the morning-after pill, if there was a real riskof her becoming pregnant with her attacker's child. "To not offer someone themorning-after pill would be negligence as far as we are concerned," she said.

Catholic-controlled health organisations control more than 70 hospitals inAustralia - and added one more this week, the Wesley Hospital in Townsville.

The buy-out by the rival Catholic Mater Misericordiae Hospital is subject toapproval by competition regulators. But the Queensland Fertility Group, whichoffers in-vitro fertilisation and other fertility treatments at the site,confirmed yesterday it had already been told it must find premises elsewhere.Catholic doctrine is opposed to IVF.

QFG Townsville director Ron Chang said the forced relocation was annoying,but predicted it would not interrupt services.

The Australian revealed on Tuesday that Canberra's John James Hospital -bought in October by a Catholic-controlled organisation - had begun withdrawingservices to the Canberra Fertility Centre, which was based on its premises.

Catholic Health Australia chief Francis Sullivan said that as well as privatehospitals, Catholic organisations ran 21 public hospitals around the nation thatwould also have to follow the ethics policy.

Mr Sullivan said health workers in Catholic hospitals "are not prevented fromgiving information" about abortion, the morning-after pill or any othertreatment. "The only restriction would be that the staff are not permitted todirectly refer women to abortion services," he said.

Catholic health ethics spokesman Bishop Anthony Fisher said the ban was alogical extension of the church's position on the use of the morning-after pill.