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Re: Squeeze the Jesus out of Tom
Posted by Jesus on Dope (Guest) - Thursday, November 4 2004, 5:00:07 (CET)
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September 25, 2004
Forced Sterilization and the New Right
For anyone inclined to think that the play-nice, feel-good pretensions of the GOP is a harbinger of a new moderation, check out Dr. Tom Coburn, Republican Senate candidate from Oklahoma.

In 1990, Dr. Coburn saved Angela Plummer’s life, removing a fallopian tube in response to ectopic pregnancy. However, she was "stunned" to learn that he also removed her other fallopian tube. Dr. Coburn claims she gave him oral consent for the procedure. Ms. Plummer has publicly disagreed:

"Dr. Tom Coburn sterilized me without my consent -- verbal or written -- and I know he's stating that he got oral consent. That is not true… I'm not up here to smear him. I'm up here because I wanted to have more children, and he took that away from me."

Is oral consent enough for decisions like this? Given the stress and duress Plummer was under in this situation, what kind of judgment skills does this guy have? More profoundly, what entitles someone to be so flippant about the reproductive rights of a woman?

While Coburn’s campaign has dismissed this story as a smear campaign, it is important to view this as the flip-side of a broader debate about the ability of women to control their own bodies. Coburn and other Republicans have rhetorically grounded their anti-choice politics in the language of “compassion” and “protecting life.” And yet on the flip-side he has shown little respect for his patient.

In a radio interview this week, Dr. Coburn was asked to clarify whether this was an isolated incident, to which he replied: "I've done this lots to women who have come in with emergency things who have asked me to sterilize them, under-age. When they've already had three babies." What the hell?

Oh yeah, and then there is that whole problem of America’s legacy of FORCED STERILIZATION, particularly of women of color, but I’m sure that clearly has nothing to do with this story…

What this case reminds us is that while the Republican party can talk a good game about being “pro-life” and promoting a “culture of life”, the history of right-wing America reveals its profound disrespect for the rights of women.

--Contributed by Brendan Sweeney

Posted by Lauryn at September 25, 2004 12:31 PM



Comments
Interesting. When I wanted to discuss sterilization with my (former) doctor, all I got was a flat no and a refusal to discuss it any further. This was immediately after being told that any further pregnancies would threaten my life.

The paternalistic nature of gynecology is beyond reason.

Posted by: Lauren at September 25, 2004 02:08 PM
Worry not - Coburn isn't out there campaigning just for women - he's out there to make it a better America for Native Americans too:

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Cherokee Nation leaders say remarks made by U.S. Senate candidate Tom Coburn during a town hall meeting in Altus last month were divisive and offensive to Indians.
In a news release Thursday, tribal leaders quoted Coburn as calling treaties between the United States and Indian Nations "a joke" and "primitive agreement(s)."
"I mean, this is a joke," Coburn was quoted as saying. "It is one thing for us to keep our obligations to recognize Native Americans, but it's a totally different thing for us to allow a primitive agreement with the Native Americans to undermine Oklahoma's future."

I can't wait until he starts looking at some of those other primitive agreements like, oh, I don't know, the 14th Amendment, Declaration of Independance, Magna Carta...


Posted by: Chad at September 25, 2004 07:34 PM
That's amazing, Lauren. When my boyfriend got the snip, they asked him once if he wanted children, and he said no and that was that.

Posted by: Amanda at September 26, 2004 12:28 AM
Wow, those are all pretty jaw dropping posts. I'd like to know Coburn's definition of "primitive." Could it possibly be, let's see, tan?

What state were you in when you were refused discussion, Lauren? Texas? South Carolina? Saudi Arabia? Seriously, that is awful and makes me thank god I am on a liberal campus.

Posted by: mer at September 26, 2004 12:58 AM
um, even in an emergency situation they are supposed to get WRITTEN consent before they do ANYTHING to a patient, including the intended procedure, never mind anything additional. if they can't get written consent from the patient herself because of her mental status, there are other routes to take to obtain it. next of kin, hospital patient advocate, etc.

he broke the f?!king law and i don't understand why he didn't lose his license.

oh. right. he's a republican. *rolls eyes*

Posted by: dana at September 26, 2004 01:20 AM
need to add--if written consent is absolutely impossible to obtain, the doctor is supposed to document why it couldn't be obtained. obviously this wasn't the case for ms. plummer since coburn claims she consented to the sterilization.

Posted by: dana at September 26, 2004 01:21 AM
I almost feel sorry for the lawyer he's going to need in that malpractice suit.

Posted by: mythago at September 26, 2004 07:59 PM
There's no such thing as *oral* consent. If pt. is awake & alert enough to talk, she's A/A enough to sign consent. Also, without knowing anything about this particular case, note that there were at least 2 other people in the OR who would've had to agree to be part of not malpractice but criminal assault.

Posted by: ema at September 27, 2004 07:41 PM
Indiana, mer. Unfortunately not Africa where they would be all too happy to sterilize me without even knowing it.

*rolls eyes*

Now, as I make way toward an IUD, I have to go to a consultation in which they tell me that I don't know what I want or need and offer me the pill.

Back on topic, sort of: It's interesting that the culture of life has absolutely no respect for life once the good fight is won. And that the culture of life thinks nothing of bombing the shit out of comparatively defenseless countries.

This is progress?



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