March 28, 2024

UK doctors could face bans for refusing to give contraceptives to unmarried women

Doctors in the UK could be banned for refusing to give unmarried women contraceptives or carry out sex change operations under new guidelines.

Doctors in the UK could be banned for refusing to give unmarried women contraceptives or carry out sex change operations under new guidelines. The General Medical Council has issued new draft guidelines saying that it was “discriminatory” for doctors to deny unmarried women the pill or morning-after pill because they object to people having sex before marriage.

The draft GMC guidelines, “Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice”, state that doctors “cannot be willing to provide married women with contraception but unwilling to prescribe it for unmarried women. This would be a breach of our guidance as you would be refusing to treat a particular group of patients”. It would also be illegal for doctors to refuse to perform “gender reassignment”, because that would amount to discrimination. “Serious or persistent failure to follow this guidance will put your registration at risk,” the guidelines caution.

Former surgeon Dr Peter Saunders, of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said the rules would “marginalise Christian health professionals in Britain”. He told the Daily Mail: “The problem is that 21st century British medicine now involves practices which many doctors regard as unethical.” Doctors can refuse some treatments on ethical grounds, including abortions. According to the guidelines, they must always refer patients to a colleague who will perform the treatment. The final version of the guidelines is set to be published later in the year. ~ London Telegraph, May 23

UK doctors could face bans for refusing to give contraceptives to unmarried women
Jared Yee
Creative commons
conscientious objection
UK