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Comment by hirundo | Hacker News Reader

"Are hospitals going to require someone to share a pregnancy test, proof they’re on birth control, get a hysterectomy, to get life-saving health care?”

This seems to go beyond advocating for the legality of this care and extend to demanding that medical professionals be compelled to provide it.

I don't think a high risk of bith defects should require sterilization before pain treatment, but at some level of risk a tubal ligation could be the right thing to do. And beyond that, what is a doctor's liability if their actions cause a birth defect? Is their decision here partly self defense? Would a truly legally binding release from liability free them to help?

I empathize with this woman's pain and hope she gets treatment quickly. But this is a particularly ethically complex situation with no obvious villains.

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Disagree. A grown-up wants treatment for a really existing pain, after being fully informed of the potential consequences. Her body, her choice, and maybe (although she stated never wanting children) her responsibility.

Medical liability likely weighed here. If I was the doctor, I would only prescribe this if the patient signed a disclaimer, which I don't believe is an option.

Many people, after all, completely change their mind on having kids later in life.

Yes, and then they sue.

I agree with you about the disclaimer, but play out the situation-

Within a few years you will see a sharp rise in prescription of fertility-destroying drugs. At some critical mass, we will see lawsuits saying the drug companies find a drug that does X, but destroys the fertility of women and then just stops doing more research. This is similar to the development of the pill. It had nasty side effects for some, but not enough to economically justify more development until the law and massive public pressure came in.

Yeah 100% agree here. We should be allowing women to make their own choices when it comes to their bodies. The complication comes when theirs a child as the father has some claim I think — I’m not a lawyer. But even then I defer to the woman.

But in this case there was no child. She’s an adult woman in pain and her doctor failed in his duty to help mitigate that pain. I wonder if she could sue. But given this 1950s leave-it-to-beaver right wing Supreme Court we have she might not have much recourse. Which is a shame.

Yes, medical professionals should be compelled to provide care to patients who need it.

If you had to deal with cluster headaches, I can guarantee 100% that you would seek recourse for yourself rather than some hypothetical next-of-kin.

Patient says she won't be having children anyways. Doesn't that completely address your concern for harm?

Where is the ethical part?

She is an adult, she makes decisions.

I do not see the defensers of ethics being around when someone makes foolish decisions such as smoking, having a child or taking drugs. Suddenly we now have a woman who can think on her own.

Let people do what they want if this does not impact the society.

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