This is why religious freedom is protected in our nation's Constitution. Those who have decided to be critical of Catholic healthcare apparently work hard to find some of those few cases in which one or more elective procedure may have been eliminated within a community. In its first report, CMAC staff concluded that Medi-Cal beneficiaries are not experiencing obstacles to obtaining reproductive services in areas served by certain Catholic and affiliated hospitals. And in its subsequent report, staff concluded that Medi-Cal women have at least the same access to voluntary tubal ligations at the time of delivery as does the general population. This forum does not allow sufficient space to address all of our concerns, but your readers should at least be told that Catholic providers believe a woman who has been raped has the right to defend herself against the effects of such aggression by seeking to avoid becoming pregnant.
Catholic hospitals understand that the act of rape is an unjust assault and a non-consensual act.
In addition, in many Catholic hospitals, teams of health professionals are specially trained to deal with the devastating emotional and psychological impact of rape and provide counseling, support groups, and others means of support for women. Those who rely on Redbook deserve more balanced and objective reporting. Catholic hospitals and Redbook share a responsibility in making sure communities are properly informed and served. The consequences of not being responsible affect everyone and benefit no one.