Due to the polarizing nature of the political climate concerning abortion in America, women facing unplanned pregnancy are at high risk of victimization by service organizations.
Patient Rights for Women Facing Unplanned Pregnancy
Women facing unplanned pregnancy are susceptible to unique forms of conflict of interest. An example of a conflict of interest would be abortion providers who have a vested financial interest in one particular choice over another (unless they offer abortion services for free and do not bill insurance companies for the service).
Without standardized information and support to women, good will and high ideals can easily degenerate into a tool for propagating a political agenda and the further exploitation of vulnerable women. The following “Bill of Rights for Women Facing Unintended Pregnancy” should be employed as a standard by all Reproductive Health Service organizations.
A Woman Facing Unintended Pregnancy Has The Right To:
1. Receive services from organizations committed to integrity, free from manipulation or coercion.
2. Receive services in an environment that supports her decision-making autonomy.
3. Be respected enough to make a decision that is right for her by receiving a non-biased presentation of all her pregnancy-related options.
4. Comprehensive information about her current medical status including information on the nature and physiology of her current pregnancy.
5. Access to objective information about all her legal options related to pregnancy and pregnancy termination.
6. Receive services from an organization with written documentation of all services and information provided to insure internal uniformity of service delivery.
7. Receive services from an organization with a written verification process that services have been provided according to written protocol on a per patient basis by job role (e.g. receptionist, counselor, nurse, physician).
8. Full disclosure about the nature of how an organization stands to financially profit from any particular decision a woman may choose to make at that organization.
9. Standardized medical services by organizations held accountable to follow protocols designed to insure that all services and information are delivered ethically and objectively, the same way for every woman.
10. Assurance of high quality medical follow-up care provided by or arranged by the physician responsible for the initial delivery of service.
11. A non-judgmental, caring environment.
12. Access to ongoing, long term community support should she choose to carry the pregnancy to full-term.
Nothing short of this degree of effort (see items 6-8) is essential when given the responsibility by women to help them navigate this most difficult of life circumstances. Pregnancy centers as well as abortion providers must be held to the standards set forth in this document. If they refuse or simply cannot respect the rights of women in this way then they should shut their doors or advertise their ongoing political and financial conflicts of interest.
For more information about how to incorporate this level of integrity (also known as a Linear Service Model or LSM) in your pregnancy center go to prcoptimizationtool.com.
For a down-loadable version of the Bill of Rights click the following link: Bill of Rights for Women Facing Unintended Pregnancy