Why We Need More Female Pro-Life OB/GYNs: Helping Women, Stopping Abortions

As the founder of Medical Patient Modesty, a Christian based non-profit organization that works to educate patients about how to stand up for their rights to modesty and same gender intimate care, I have helped a number of women and husbands who want a guarantee that a female ob/gyn or midwife will deliver their baby.

Women often prefer female gynecologist or midwife for a variety of reasons including: moral and religious convictions, simply more comfortable with female intimate care, and past sexual abuse. According to many statistics, most young women especially in their 20s prefer a female gynecologist. Check out this article, Patient gender preferences for medical care that was written by a cardiologist at http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/11/patient-gender-preferences-medical-care.html.

I had the privilege of helping a sexual abuse survivor, Katherine who found Medical Patient Modesty’s web site after a local hospital refused to guarantee her that her baby would be delivered by a female doctor or midwife. She was also told because she had Medicaid she had no choice in who would deliver her baby. The patient advocate at that hospital was not helpful at all.

He offered her two solutions: 1.) Be sedated if a male OB/GYN was on call and let him deliver her baby.  2.) Have an unnecessary C-Section on a day that a female OB/GYN was on call.

This made Katherine very upset. She told the patient advocate that if he could not find a solution that she would have an abortion. Katherine had so many sleepless nights because she did not seem to be able to find anyone who understood her. Praise the Lord after Katherine did research on the Internet she found Medical Patient Modesty’s web site that encouraged her. She sent me an email and I responded to her email quickly. I encouraged her to not have an abortion and to check out two other hospitals that had all-female practices that had privileges at those hospitals. One of those hospitals that was about 45 minutes away was able to accommodate Katherine’s wishes for an all-female team. Katherine shared that she had a wonderful birthing experience and how much joy her daughter has brought her. She is very thrilled to be a mother.

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Katherine’s case is a reason why pro-life groups and pregnancy centers should work to increase pro-life female gynecologists and midwives who can encourage scared young women to not have abortions.

Since some of the women who consider having an abortion were sexually abused earlier in life, raped, or had relationships with the men who got them pregnant turn very sour, they often feel intimidated by male doctors. Some of those women who do not want a male OB/GYN under any circumstances will even consider abortion if they cannot be guaranteed that a female OB/GYN or midwife will deliver their baby.

It is important that we work to help those women find a sensitive female OB/GYN and assist them to create birth plans to determine who should be present for their childbirth. Young women are often unaware about things that could happen during childbirth such as the fact that some hospitals let medical students observe birth and do unnecessary exams.  We should make efforts to help those women to have positive birthing experiences.

In some areas especially rural areas, there are not enough or no pro-life female ob/gyns. Women can usually only be guaranteed that a female OB/GYN would deliver their babies if they choose an all-female ob/gyn practice that does not rotate with other practices that have male doctors.  This is a serious problem because in some areas of the United States, you have to drive 3 hours or more to find an all-female practice that can guarantee you will have a female gynecologist.

Some wonderful female pro-life OB/GYNs have started all female practices in some areas of the United States such as Hickory, NC, Jackson, MS, and Memphis, TN. One good example is a pro-life all female practice, East Lakeland Associates OB/GYN in Jackson, MS that was started by Dr. Beverly McMillian, a former abortionist. Check out Dr. McMillian’s amazing testimony. Also check her testimony on Pro-Life Action League. She has worked with the pro-life movement for many years.

How Can We Increase Pro-Life Female OB/GYNs and All Female Practices?

  • Encourage pro-life high school and college girls to consider becoming OB/GYNs.
  • Encourage pro-life female medical students to consider becoming OB/GYNs.
  • Encourage pro-life female ob/gyn residents and experienced OB/GYNs to consider starting an all-female ob/gyn practice in a town that does not have an all-female practice.
  • Encourage pro-life female ob/gyns with small practices of one or two doctors to expand their practices and hire more female doctors so women can be guaranteed a female doctor in emergencies.
  • Encourage pro-life female ob/gyns in mixed practices that have both male and female doctors to start a new all-female ob/gyn practice in the area and hire enough female doctors that would guarantee a woman a female doctor in emergencies.
  • Encourage pro-life female ob/gyns to mentor pro-life female medical students and ob/gyn residents
  • Encourage hospitals that cannot guarantee a female ob/gyn in emergencies to recruit an all-female practice so at least one female ob/gyn would always be on call.

In conclusion, as one of the ways to reduce abortions for young women who do not want a male doctor, we need to increase the availability of female pro-life female gynecologists in certain towns and work to raise awareness about the importance of having a sensitive female doctor who encourages women to not have an abortion available at all times.

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