Opinion
Abortion problem not lack of training, but that physicians accept it as moral
LETTER — Posted Nov. 28, 2005
Regarding "Abortion training" (Article, Oct. 24/31): Several physicians cited in your article seem to suggest that there is a problem with the possibility that there are fewer physicians performing and teaching abortions. Their assertion, not fully stated, seems to be that abortion is a valuable and necessary procedure for the health care of women and that somehow women are at risk for being deprived of good care.
I think the doctors are missing the point here. The therapeutic benefit from abortion in the health care of women is debatable but there is no therapeutic benefit whatsoever from abortion for the unborn child. In fact the procedure is 100% lethal for this population. Since abortion has been legal in the United States, more than 45,000,000 unborn babies have been killed through abortion and one-third of a generation has been lost forever.
As a member of a profession that purports to help people, I find these to be troubling statistics. We as a profession need to reflect on what these numbers say about the moral integrity of our profession. Hopefully those training the next generation of physicians will soon realize that we physicians can and must offer our women patients better care than helping them to kill their unborn children.
Robert Kaladish, MD, Amherst, N.H.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/11/28/edlt1128.htm.
