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LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
Here's what Wednesday's Supreme Court decision means to me and my patients:
Now, when I want to act in my patient's best interest, I must stop and call a lawyer to find out what I'm permitted to do under the law or face federal prosecution.
Now, when my patient trusts me to do what's best and safest for her health, I must tell her that my hands are tied by justices who have put ideology above scientific evidence.
Now, when I sit talking to my patient, a little voice at my ear will tell me that politicians know best.
Now, when I work in my office and my operating room, I will wonder who's a potential informant.
This ruling insidiously injects government into the personal decisions a woman makes with her physician. It is an insult to a woman's right to protect her own health and to a physician's ability to advise her.
Deborah Oyer, M.D.
April 19, 2007
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