(May 2014) Why We Need to Ban ‘Conscientious Objection’ in Reproductive Healthcare


Joyce Arthur and Christian Fiala. Rewire. May 14, 2014. Rewire.news


Synopsis: A criticism of the global consensus by secular medical and health organizations and human rights bodies that “conscientious objection” is a legitimate right of physicians. All such groups that accept CO simply assume without question that healthcare providers have a right to CO, while they contradictorily often devote considerable discussion and resources to documenting and trying to limit the systemic harms caused by the exercise of CO. Not a single statement, article, report, or study by any group that supports CO can cite any benefits of CO in healthcare, other than supposedly respecting clinicians’ “right” of conscience. But all groups fail to see that the term “conscientious objection” as applied to refusals of reproductive healthcare is fraudulent, and not true CO.