Imagine two rape victims taken to the same hospital emergency room. Imagine them put in adjoining examination rooms.
Let’s say they have identical injuries.
Presume everything about them is the same except for where they are in their menstrual cycles.
Do they deserve access to the same medical treatment?
At most Catholic hospitals in Colorado, they can’t get it.
The protocol of six Catholic hospitals run by Centura calls for rape victims to undergo an ovulation test.
If they have not ovulated, said Centura corporate spokeswoman Dana Berry, doctors tell the victims about emergency contraception and write prescriptions for it if the patient asks.
If, however, the urine test suggests that a rape victim has ovulated, Berry continued, doctors at Centura’s Catholic hospitals are not to mention emergency contraception. That means the victim can end up pregnant by her rapist.
Goddamn it – this is insane. The only time a rape victim will get emergency contraception from these hospitals is when the hospital has determined that it isn’t necessary. Sweet Jesus, these people are crazy. They are as crazy as the people who are making it impossible for a 13 year old to end a pregnancy, but not an 18 year old.
Somebody shoot me now, please. Insanity on this level should just be chittering voices in their heads but they are making it into public policy. Public policy – Christ on crack – what kind of country is this? A child cannot end a pregnancy but an adult can. A rape victim can only get emergency contraception after it is determined she doesn’t need it – stand back – I am going to explode.