Threats to Abortion Access

Patients who are refused care cannot always just go someplace else to get it. Because some providers also claim a right to withhold information about any treatment to which they have a moral objection, patients may not even be aware of their treatment options or where such services can be obtained. Refusals can result in the denial of informed consent, which can have serious consequences for patients’ health and lives.

On December 18, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule that in addition to posing a serious threat to women’s health, significantly limits all patients’ access to health care and important information about their health care options. This rule has serious implications for biomedical research activities at academic, nonprofit, and corporate research institutions that receive federal funds. The following are some facts that every biomedical research advocate should know about the HHS rule.