Questions and Answers
1) Do Catholic hospitals in Connecticut provide compassionate quality care to a rape victim?
Yes.
The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services calls for the utmost respect for victims of sexual assault: “Compassionate and understanding care should be given to a person who is the victim of sexual assault.”
The Sexual Assault Protocol of the Connecticut Catholic Hospitals requires that Catholic Hospitals:
A. Facilitate prompt, compassionate examination and treatment.
B. Provide emergency contraception (“Plan B”) when the woman in the phase of her cycle in which Plan B can have a contraceptive effect by preventing ovulation.
C. In the extremely rare cases in which the woman is already in the ovulation stage of her cycle so that Plan B cannot have a contraceptive effect:
a. Inform the woman of the reasons why the Catholic Hospital cannot provide Plan B;
b. Inform the woman of other sites in the community that may offer Plan B;
c. Provide the woman with such clinical, technical or factual information that the patient requests or may need to make a decision whether to continue to receive treatment at the Catholic hospital;
d. Facilitate the transfer of the patient if the patient requests.
2) Do Catholic hospitals provide emergency contraception (Plan “B”) to a rape victim as part of its medical protocol?
Yes.
As explained above, Connecticut’s Catholic hospitals provide emergency contraception (Plan B) in those cases in which the women is in the phase of her cycle in which Plan B can have a contraceptive effect by preventing ovulation.
If the woman is already in the ovulation stage of her cycle, then Plan B cannot have a contraceptive effect. In these cases, the only objective of administering Plan B is to impede the implantation of a fertilized ovum, which is abortion that the Catholic hospital cannot perform directly or in cooperation with others.
3) Catholic hospitals administer an extra test to a rape victim to determine if she can be given emergency contraception. What is that test?
Catholic hospitals administer a luteinizing hormone urine dip test (LH Test), or if this test is not available, a progesterone blood level test. These tests indicate whether the woman is in the ovulation stage of her cycle. The LH Test gives an immediate positive or negative indication. The blood test is less precise and takes more time, and therefore is not recommended.
4) Why is the luteinizing hormone ovulation test given?
The LH Test is given to determine whether the administration of Plan B will have a contraceptive effect, or whether the administration of Plan B will cause an abortion.
If the LH Test indicates that the woman is not in the ovulation stage of her cycle, then Plan B can act as a contraceptive by preventing ovulation, and Catholic hospitals will provide Plan B in such cases.
If the LH test indicates that the woman is already in the ovulation stage of her cycle, then Plan B cannot have a contraceptive effect. In these extremely rare cases, the only objective of administering Plan B is to impede the implantation of a fertilized ovum, which is abortion that the Catholic hospital cannot perform directly or in cooperation with others.
5) Many people believe that a rape victim will not receive emergency contraception
at a Catholic hospital due to the ovulation test. Is this true?
No.
Catholic hospitals will administer Plan B when the ovulation test indicates that the woman is not in the ovulation stage of her cycle and the medication can have a contraceptive effect. The only situations in which the Catholic hospital will not provide the medication, which are extremely rare, is when the woman is in the ovulating stage of her cycle so that the Plan B cannot prevent ovulation or have a contractive effect, and can only have an abortive effect.
6) What if the woman cannot be given Plan B based on the test?
a. In the extremely rare cases in which the woman is already in the ovulation stage of her cycle so that Plan B cannot have a contraceptive effect, the Catholic hospital will:
i. Inform the woman of the reasons why the Catholic Hospital cannot provide Plan B;
ii. Inform the woman of other sites in the community that may offer Plan B;
iii. Provide the woman with such clinical, technical or factual information that the patient requests or may need to make a decision whether to continue to receive treatment at the Catholic hospital; and
iv. The transfer of the patient if the patient requests.
7) Connecticut’s Catholic hospitals have said that Plan B can sometimes cause an abortion. Is this correct?
The primary mechanism of Plan B is to prevent ovulation, and therefore conception.
The secondary mechanism of Plan B is to prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum, which is abortion. This is confirmed on the manufacturer’s web site that says, “Plan B® may also work by preventing it (the fertilized egg) from attaching to the uterus (womb).”
8) Is it a true statement to say that forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B under all cases is equivalent to forcing Catholic hospitals to perform an abortion?
Yes.
When Plan B cannot act as a contraceptive, it can only act to cause an abortion. Forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B in these situations forces the hospitals to perform abortions.
9) At its core, is this issue a question of religious liberty and whether Catholic hospitals can be forced to perform abortions?
Yes.
When Plan B cannot act as a contraceptive, it can only act to cause an abortion. Forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B in these situations forces the hospitals to perform abortions, which violates constitutional and statutory principles that ensure the right of everyone, including Catholic hospitals, to exercise their religion without interference by the state. These constitutional and statutory principles are just as important as any other rights.
10) Do Catholic hospitals in
New York and
New Jersey follow a different protocol
than
Connecticut?
Yes.
However, the protocol followed by
Connecticut’s Catholic hospitals is endorsed by the
National
Catholic
Bioethics
Center.
Illinois and
Pennsylvania follow a protocol similar to
Connecticut’s and we anticipate that these will become the mainline standard for Catholic health care nationally. When
New York and
New Jersey adopted legislation concerning the distribution of Plan B to rape victims, no such standard was in place.
