To think that religion shouldn't come into contraception advice?

[Sugarmuppet]

or am I being terribly nieve?

Having grown up in the country in the middle of no where, religion has never been a part of my life. Everyone just go on with everyone regardless of what religion you were. The question just never came up.

I recently moved into a very 'catholic' area of Glagow, my husband and his family are all practicing catholics. What an eye opener!

I joined his Doctors practice. Had nothing but great care during my pregnancy. Didn't even know it was a 'catholic' practice. Went today to get some contraception advice, I had eclampsia and the consultants at hospital warned me against going back on the pill. Anyway, my Doctor today says 'we are a Catholic practice. It is against my religion to deal with contraception requests, please go to your local family planning clinic'

Is that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard?

If you want a full choice the FPC is the best place to go

And I keep telling people of your opinion - stop pretending this is a realistic option for a lot of women and girls who are the most vulnerable and have gone to a GP for advice. It's not always easy, due to location, finances or covering your arse from parental influence

or, do we only care that women who can drive, live within easy distance of a FPC, who can attend appointments, and have the confidence to know how these facilities work... are they they only ones we think are going to Drs asking for contraception?

nonsense.

frgf, we also do not know what this Dr's response would have been to a nervous 16 year old or to the OP if the practice had not been within easy reach of a FPC. It is not fair to assume that she would have left the 16 year old without anywhere else to go just because, perhaps, it suits your prejudice to think so.

TheCoalitionNeedsYou Thu 04-Nov-10 17:20:55
"You can't MAKE people act against their principles"

So would you be happy with a surgeon who happened to be a Jehovah's witness and therefore refused to give you a blood transfusion halfway through your op? Or a for a man to take a job as a gynaecologist and then decide his Muslim principles meant he was not comfortable with seeing women's genitals.

You cannot force someone to act against their principles, but you can expect someone with religious principles to have a good think before they take on a job about what tasks a person doing that job would normally be expected to do in that particular culture - and then decide if they should still take the job.

Since Scotland is not on the whole a devoutly Catholic country, this GP should have been able to work out that patients will at some stage expect her to deal with contraception.

frgf, as another poster said, you are not restricted to using your own GP for contraception.

'or, do we only care that women who can drive, live within easy distance of a FPC, who can attend appointments, and have the confidence to know how these facilities work... are they they only ones we think are going to Drs asking for contraception?'

it isn't? i live in the middle of nowhere, in what is a quite deprived area of Scotland.

a lot of teens here would not go to their GP anyhow because they are male (i don't have a problem myself because i have had several children and miscarriage and cervical abnormalities/treatment, i prefer my GP to do my smears because he's better at it and gentler than the nurse (who can never seem to get it) and i know he's a husband and father and professional, and a Christian like me, but i can totally see where a 15-year-old would have a problem with it).

yet once a week there is a sexual health clinic for under 25s fully staffed in town centre and with posters up in the only secondary school for many miles.

completely confidential, staff brought over from another region, offering a full range of services including STI testing, abortion referral, contraceptives, free condoms, etc.

it's popular because as this is a rural area, many people here know their GP and the staff from there in a personal capacity, or their parents do.

they'll even take over 25s like me because i rang.

i can't imagine it would be worse in cities, tbh.

the FPC in edinburgh is so easy to get to, open in the evenings and at weekends, huge and efficient.

He is an utter bigot, perhaps he should leave the surgery and go to work in the Catholic NHS. Oh dear, there isn't one of those, is there?

There are a number of reasons why you want your GP's advice on contraception, a lot of methods are drug based so really who is the better educated for such matters?

It's sexist and discriminatory to refuse to deal with this request of yours, you should definitely complain.

Yes I stand by the FPC being the best place to go, did not say only place to go!

I have not been rude about those who do not belive in a deity, why do others feel the need to be rude about my 'imaginary friend'?

I would be inclined to think that the GP would have behave the same had I been a nervous 16 year old.

As it is I am a 30 something with a sick DD (thats why was at GPs in first place), we both nearly died during labour, hence why I don't want to be pregnant again, GP knows history, she knows I am upset at consultant not recommending any more children but she still couldn't offer advice? I am getting quite pissed off thinking about it now. :(

Family Planning isn't walking distance, would be a couple of buses or wait until OH has a day off to use the car.

There is a difference between your personal faith, and allowing that to influence your professional practice. He is there as a doctor, not as a passer by and his religious choices are opposing the contraceptive choices of any woman. He shouldn't have the power to do that, unless the oath he gave as a doctor is different to the secular one.
What if you have a brilliant doctor who insists that you wear a veil while being examined, otherwise he won't see you? How would that be different?

Of course you should be pissed off Sugarmuppet, he is actually criticizing your own reproductive and moral choice on the matter, it's utterly wrong.

Catholicathiest I think you have been very offensive towards GPs. Granted some GPs are pretty rubbish but they cannot be used as a prime example of all GPs. I won't go into all their training as weegie has already done that.

Ban all catholics? Coalition that is a very bigoted attitude and imo very unfair. I work with quite a few catholics and they are very good at their jobs. Their religious beliefs have no bearing on their ability to do their jobs.

eaglewings, because when my DD grows up, i want her to consult Drs who want to keep her happy, healthy and support her in the way most people would deem appropriate - ensuring her well being is paramount, more important than any set of beliefs they may or may not hold.

THAT is why i bring up my 16 year old self - my experience could have so easily gone the other way, and it scares me that Drs are allowed to practice and make such a subjective decision on whether or not they will offer that advice.

i have 1 thing going for my family now, and that is that we don't live in the middle of nowhere no, so god forbid she ever felt like she couldn't come to me for contraception advice, she wouldn't feel the barriers i did quite so much. there ARE things like FPC here (never entered one until i was 26 i think?) and for that i am very very grateful.

I think the doctor has every right no to prescribe contraception if it is against his beliefs. Why should he not practice as a GP because of his faith?

I am at it being a Catholic practice. I think there should be another GP/nurse who is willing to offer contraceptive advice.

At my GP practice, GPs never deal with contraception anyway. They have a "contraception clinic" which is basically a nurse, although they do get the doctor to insert coils.

I had this, about 15 years ago. I changed GPs.

But this is is not just about getting access to contraception, it's about her doctor who knows her medical history, why should she go elsewhere? I find this catholic obession with what women do with their own uterus quite ridiculous. Especially as in this case, she could well die if pregnant again. But no, the good doctor has his faith to answer to rather than his patient.

I am utterly at this. Having another baby would jeopordise your life, maybe even your health. Its not a lifestyle choice.

I am religious too, but in my religion such a pregnancy (ie one that risks your life) would not be allowed. Contraception would be religiously required.

But even if it is a catholic practise, don't see why this is so relevant, especially if you are not catholic.

FWIW my mum worked (years ago) at a catholic secondary school in glasgow, had really high teenage pregnancy rate as they were taught contraception was not allowed. of course they were also taught sex before marriage not allowed but i guess they were teenagers!

ALso my dad had a catholic GP in his practise - and i remember my dad saying that they had asked that question before they employed him.

As if the catholic church would give a shit whether using contraception would be importance for health reasons.

We have a local GP surgery here with about 6 or 7 GPs (including at least 2 married couples). They are all religious (not Catholic or Church of Scotland, but another protestant religion - Baptists maybe?)

Their website makes it quite clear that they won't prescribe the MAP or abortion, and that only one of them will prescribe contraception.

It's not a huge issue as there are many other surgeries to choose from, but I was that in this day and age, they can pick and choose what they do with the public money that they get.

Of course it's OK to be prejudiced against the superstitious, same as it's OK to be prejudiced against Tories/Marxists/vegetarians/trainspotters. Superstition is a choice, not an inherent part of you like skin colour or age or gender.

I hope you never get refused a blood transfusion by a Jehovah witness surgeon, and that if you or your daughter ever suffer an ectopic pregnancy you won't get a doctor refusing to treat you on medical grounds. The catholic church really has a lot to answer for, including the HIV positive babies born from mothers who were brainwashed to not use contraception.

Not that it matters but it wasn't pre-eclampsia.

I had HG during my pregnancy, PROM at 30 weeks and then developed eclampsia at 32 weeks chances are one of the three will happen again and consultant doesn't think that it is worth the risk, to me or unborn baby. I don't want to take that chance. Consultant at hospital told me to talk to my GP about contraception as the pill would no longer be suitable (am on BP meds).

I wonder what my MIL take on it would be? Having watched her son think that he is about to loose his wife? Would she want to risk him going through that again by not thinking that I should be taking contraception? Asked OH but all he said was that he didn't think I would like the answer so best not to ask her!

How can a faith interfere with you career? And how can you put a faith ahead of your family?

SGB In a way I agree, but what about being prejudiced towards gay people, in that it has not yet been scientifically proven (that I am aware of, please correct if I am wrong) that there is a biological predisposition to being gay. Some people still see it as a choice, again not saying that this is right but it is not necessarily an inherent part of you. Is this prejudice therefore OK?