Requiring doctors to describe fetal development to women seeking
abortions may make good politics. But physicians say it isn't good
medicine.
"It's such a third-party intervention in the doctor-patient
relationship," said Dr. Shayne Plosker, a professor of obstetrics
and gynecology at the University of South Florida. "It's impinging
on our rights and freedoms as Americans. There are very few things
as personal to people as their health care and their relationship
with their doctor."
As director of USF's in vitro fertilization program, Plosker
spends his days helping couples conceive. He often uses ultrasound
to monitor early fetal development, and usually can see a heart
beat by around six weeks gestation. By eight weeks, a head is
visible. The liver, stomach and bladder may be seen at weeks nine
through 13.
Still, Plosker noted, the earliest a baby has a chance of
surviving outside the womb, with medical assistance, is at 23 to 24
weeks.
Plosker does not perform abortions. But the Florida legislation,
now awaiting signing or veto by Gov. Charlie Crist, is so vague, he
doesn't know what he is obligated to say, and he worries for
parents whose fetus shows abnormalities. "To force that person
who's already hurting and who's already having to make a difficult
situation to look and hear a graphic explanation of what's going
on, I find it repulsive and cruel," Plosker said.
Dr. Joshua Copel, a professor at Yale medical school and
prenatal diagnostician who doesn't do abortions, opposes this kind
of legislation. "The theme to these laws is either, doctors are
convincing women to have abortions, or that women are not thinking
seriously about the decision before they come to see us," he said.
"Having counseled many women over many years, I really find that's
not the case."
Rep. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, a physician and abortion opponent, voted
against the measure, saying its purpose "wasn't to practice better
medicine. It's an ideology issue." Some day, he said, liberals
might be in charge and could impose their ideology.
"The bottom line is, don't go there," said Homan, an
orthopedic surgeon at USF. "Just let doctors practice medicine."
c.2009 St. Petersburg Times