AAPLOG consists of both Catholic and Protestant members, as well as prolife members of other faiths. We obviously oppose medications that have been demonstrated to have abortifacient action. On matters such as birth control pills and voluntary tubal ligations, we leave the standard to the individual physicians, their conscience, and their faith position. If a patient wants a service that her doctor does not provide, she is absolutely free to find a doctor that agrees with her demand. This is, after all, America, with freedom of religious, or other lawful decisions, up to the individual.

Not so, the current US Government. If the organization must provide the insurance, the doctor involved, if he takes government insurance (if he/she is to be paid), is to be merely a neutral “provider” whose job it is to provide what the patient demands. (See ACOG Ethics Committee Opinion #385, Nov 2007—it is still on their books) Ah, the power of the proposed single payer system. See note below from Family Research Council.

Sebelius Stands by Her Man(date)

Thanks to President Obama, the tens and thousands of pro-lifers who streamed into D.C. for today’s March have another cause to fight: the future of religious liberty. Late Friday, the Obama administration marked the anniversary of Roe v. Wade by cementing one of the biggest attacks on conscience rights the country has ever seen. Starting next year, any organization that offers health insurance to employees will be forced to cover birth control, sterilizations, and abortifacients–no matter what their objections.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius finalized the rule after her agency fielded more than 200,000 public comments–many objecting to the administration’s policies that flow from an anti-child ideology. FRC has been fighting alongside dozens of evangelical and Catholic groups, who see this decision for what it is: naked aggression against America ‘s most fundamental freedom. “Never,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, “has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience.” Sebelius is waving off the controversy by pointing to the mandate’s “religious exemption,” which is nothing but a narrow protection for churches. Other religiously affiliated groups like faith-based schools, hospitals, and charities are ordered to comply.

The decision was such a slap in the face of the First Amendment that even newspapers like the Washington Post shook their heads. “Requiring a religiously affiliated employer to spend its own money in a way that violates its religious principles,” the Post editorial board wrote, “does not make an adequate accommodation for those deeply held views.” Others, like the New York Daily News, were not so reserved. “Wrong, wrong, high-handedly, obtusely wrong.” The U.S. Supreme Court just finished rebuking the President for meddling in church business, and now his agencies are using policies as a weapon to blunt the church’s community involvement. As the White House well knows, most of these charities would rather close their doors than meet these requirements. That would suit this administration just fine, since it wants to eliminate the government’s competition for services and drive the church out of the public square. “What war and disease could not do to the congregation,” wrote one church, “the government of the United States will. It will shut them down.”

To help organizations “transition,” Sebelius is waiting until August 2013 to implement the mandate. “In effect, the President is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences,” Dolan fumed. The Left can also avoid the political pain of staking out such an unpopular position before Election Day.

Below is a promo on a new book. 2 of the authors are AAPLOG Board members. We are all concerned about the health of young women. This information will be of great importance to medical and non-medical people alike.

TITLE
Girls Uncovered: New Research on the effects of America’s Sexual Culture on Young Women.

The Medical Institute is pleased to announce the release of the new book; Girls Uncovered : a book that reveals new research on what America’s sexual culture is doing to our young women. This book is co-authored by Joe S McIlhaney, Jr., MD and Freda M. Bush, MD with Stan Guthrie, MA.

Every day our young girls and women are inundated with many sexual demands by the society. This revealing book addresses the numerous challenges confronting our young women today, in a deeply sexual culture. Young girls are being encouraged to engage freely in casual sex, without helping them appreciate the physical, emotional and psychological burden this behavior can put on their wellbeing. This new book will equip parents, mentors and educators with the knowledge needed to help them in assisting our young women overcome these pressures, enabling them to make healthy decisions for a more fulfilling life.

About the Authors

Joe S. McIlhaney MD is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who resides in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Marion. In 1995 he left his private practice of 28 years to devote his full-time attention to working with the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, a non-profit medical/educational research organization he established in 1992.

Freda Bush, MD is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and a partner in private practice with East Lakeland OB-GYN associates in Jackson, Mississippi. She is also the chair of the board at the Medical Institute for Sexual Health. Freda and her husband, Lee have been married for forty two years and have four children and seven grand children.

Stan Guthrie, MA is an author, columnist, editor, and literary agent. He blogs at stanguthrie.com. He has been married to Christine for twenty-four years. They have three children

For more information about Girls Uncovered or to purchase copies of this book, please call us on 512.328.6268 or please visit http://www.medinstitute.org/products/item317.cfm

Price $14.99

The AAPLOG Saturday, Feb 25, CME meeting has been formally accepted for 6 CME credit hours. AAFP says, “This Live activity, ‘AAPLOG 2012 Matthew Bulfin Educational Symposium’ with a beginning date of February 25, 2012, has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 6 Prescribed credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.”

The meeting agenda is;

Matthew Bulfin Symposium, February 25, 2012

8:45 Maureen Condic, PhD. “Defining the Beginning of Human Life”

9:45 Theresa Deisher, Ph.D. “Current Ethical Issues in Drug Development”

10:30 George Delgado, M.D. “Reversing Mifepristone: Case Reports”

11:00 Paul Gray, M.D. “Medical and Surgical Naprotechnology”

11:45 Priscilla Coleman, Ph.D. “ Psychological Effects of Induced Abortion: Summary and Update”

12:30 Lunch

1:15 Frederick Dyer, Ph.D. “Horatio Robinson Storer, M.D. and the Physicians’ Crusade Against Abortion, with implications for the current practicing doctor’s responsibilities toward the abortion issue. ”

2:00 Michael New, Ph.D. ‘Analyzing How State Level Anti-Abortion Laws Impact Fertility Outcomes.”

2:45 George Mulcaire-Jones, M.D. “Safe Passages Program: Confronting Maternal Mortality in Rural Nigeria, Update”

3;30 Angela Lanfranchi, M.D.: ”The Abortion Breast Cancer Link: The biologic basis and a review of the literature 1957-2011

4:15 Byron Calhoun. M.D. “Premature Labor: The At-Risk Patient ”

5:00 Adjourn

Registration for CME hours is $150, payable at the door. Please notify by reply email if you are planning to come, so we can plan seating. Travel and hotel and meeting place information follows:

Information regarding travel from airports to the hotel: Reagan National is much closer to the hotel than Dulles or Baltimore/Washington Airports. Ground transportation details and cost are at: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/area/transportation.html?propertyID=1237

Local area map is at: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/area/map.html?propertyID=1237

Information regarding your own hotel reservations: Hotel reservations (ask for the AAPLOG block of rooms at $149/night rate) can be made at 202-289-7600, or reserve your room online at: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1105133018&key=94378 Reservations must be made by Jan 24 to get the $149 rate.

Jdc/aaplog

The following is a press release by the US Congressional ProLife Caucus’s Co-Chair Chris Smith (R-NJ)

December 22, 2011

http://chrissmith.house.gov

“UMDNJ’s coercive abortion participation policy announced in September was a blatant violation of the rights of its health care professionals. The right to conscience is a federally protected fundamental right that cannot be abridged, undermined or violated in any way.

“Due to the brave voices of these 12 nurses and the diligent work of their attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, the hospital has finally agreed to respect their rights. The nurses may continue to provide compassionate life-affirming care without being complicit in the destruction of innocent human life.

“UMDNJ argues that sometimes so-called safe, elective abortions put women in life-threatening situations. When an abortion threatens to take the life of both the baby and the mom, the pro-life nurses have always been willing to step in, if needed, to preserve the life of the mother until the emergency code team arrives.

“Now it is the hospital’s responsibility to make sure respect for conscience is implemented through a hospital-wide policy without nuance, loopholes, ambiguity or small print. A durable, transparent and effective means of monitoring compliance with federally protected conscience rights must be put in place to ensure that no-one at UMDNJ, including the nurses who asserted their federally guaranteed rights not to participate in any way in the killing of an unborn child are harmed, subjected to any discrimination or retaliated against now or at any time in the future.

You are familiar with the case of the 12 surgical nurses at the Univ. of Med and Dent of New Jersey who were basically told, “assist with abortions or risk being fired.” (see our letters of Nov 4, 16,21 on our website) Their Conscience case was handled by the Alliance Defense Fund. Yesterday they won their case. Celebrate. But celebrate with restraint, as the “deniers of conscience rights” will be back. A different time, a different venue, but they will be back. The right to follow our conscience convictions will be a central struggle in medical “ethics” and pragmatic practice for the foreseeable future. We have won a battle, but the War will go on.

The following is a statement from the US Congresspersons’ Pro-life Caucus Co-Chair Chris Smith (R-NJ):

December 22, 2011
http://chrissmith.house.gov

“UMDNJ’s coercive abortion participation policy announced in September was a blatant violation of the rights of its health care professionals. The right to conscience is a federally protected fundamental right that cannot be abridged, undermined or violated in any way.

“Due to the brave voices of these 12 nurses and the diligent work of their attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, the hospital has finally agreed to respect their rights. The nurses may continue to provide compassionate life-affirming care without being complicit in the destruction of innocent human life.

“UMDNJ argues that sometimes so-called safe, elective abortions put women in life-threatening situations. When an abortion threatens to take the life of both the baby and the mom, the pro-life nurses have always been willing to step in, if needed, to preserve the life of the mother until the emergency code team arrives.

“Now it is the hospital’s responsibility to make sure respect for conscience is implemented through a hospital-wide policy without nuance, loopholes, ambiguity or small print. A durable, transparent and effective means of monitoring compliance with federally protected conscience rights must be put in place to ensure that no-one at UMDNJ, including the nurses who asserted their federally guaranteed rights not to participate in any way in the killing of an unborn child are harmed, subjected to any discrimination or retaliated against now or at any time in the future.”

AAPLOG note: We celebrate with ADF and the nurses, and we will be ready for the next conscience battle. Be ready with us.

Thank you for standing with us for the right of the unborn to experience life, and the right of their mothers to experience their child’s life as well. Our Christmas greeting to you comes from an Inuit village in Alaska, where a number of fairly recently born little folk (and some older ones) have a priceless classical musical treat for you.

Please click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A

YEAR END GIVING OPPORTUNITY

We are in need of your gifts to fund our complete year’s programs. (Unlike the U.S. Congress, we DO operate on a balanced budget amendment!!) The Dues letter in August 2011 netted about 50% of what we need to fund our proposed programs through March 2012 (total needed $80,000). We would like to realize $40,000 from this letter. Please give with that in mind. We are the only professional OBGYN doctor group in the country (and in the world) standing for your medical values and conscience convictions. And we are active in legal cases (amicus briefs, intercessions, etc), and in disseminating accurate medical information on the complications of induced abortion. We network with Crisis Pregnancy Centers (Pregnancy Resource Centers), and with prolife physicians internationally. And we need your financial help.

EASIEST WAY TO GIVE:

The easiest, quickest, most secure and convenient way to give is online, using VISA or MASTERCARD. And you receive an immediate tax-exempt receipt by email. Go to www.aaplog.org and click on “donations” at the top of the home page. Simply give the information requested, and hit the red “give now” button. Done. Painless. Your tax exempt receipt comes by return email.

Next best way: send a check made out to AAPLOG. Or mail CC info. Send to AAPLOG, 339 River Ave, Holland, MI 49423. Or send cc info. Tax exempt receipt will come by snail mail. If gifting by CC :

Your Name:
Visa or Mastercard:
Gift Amount: $
CC#
exp date:
Billing zip code:

and your name and address for snail mail tax receipt.

Third best way: CC by Fax: fax info to 616 396 1008. If gifting by CC : include

Your Name:
Visa or Mastercard:
Gift Amount: $
CC#
exp date:
Billing zip code:

and your name and address for snail mail tax receipt.

Thanks for standing with us as we stand for you in this battle for conscience rights and for pro-life values, and for the lives of the unborn and the well being of their mothers.

Joe DeCook, MD
Executive Director, AAPLOG

Here is information regarding the AAPLOG CME meeting on Saturday, Feb 25, 2012.

THE ANNUAL AAPLOG CME MEETING

The meeting will be held Saturday, Feb 25, 2012, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Washington, DC. We have applied for 7.5 CME hours. We should hear regarding this application within 3 weeks. Registration fee for CME hours will be $150, payable at the door by check, cash, or CC. The program will be as follows:

8:45 Maureen Condic, PhD. “Defining the Beginning of Human Life”

9:45 Theresa Deisher, Ph.D. “Current Ethical Issues in Drug Development”

10:30 George Delgado, M.D. “Reversing Mifepristone: Case Reports”

11:00 Paul Gray, M.D. “Medical and Surgical Naprotechnology”

11:45 Priscilla Coleman, Ph.D. “ Psychological Effects of Induced Abortion: Summary and Update”

12:30 Lunch

1:15 Frederick Dyer, Ph.D. “Horatio Robinson Storer, M.D. and the Physicians’ Crusade Against Abortion, with implications for the current practicing doctor’s responsibilities toward the abortion issue. ”

2:00 Michael New, Ph.D. ‘Analyzing How State Level Anti-Abortion Laws Impact Fertility Outcomes.”

2:45 George Mulcaire-Jones, M.D. “Safe Passages Program: Confronting Maternal Mortality in Rural Nigeria, Update”

3;30 Angela Lanfranchi, M.D.: ”The Abortion Breast Cancer Link: The biologic basis and a review of the literature 1957-2011

4:15 Byron Calhoun. M.D. “Premature Labor: The At-Risk Patient ”

5:00 Adjourn

If you are interested in attending, contact us at prolifeob@aol.com to so indicate. After Christmas we will confirm if our program has been accepted for 7.5 CME hours. Hotel reservations (ask for the AAPLOG block of rooms at $149/night rate) can be made at 202-289-7600, or reserve your room online at: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1105133018&key=94378 Reservations must be made by Jan 24 to get the $149 rate.

A limited number of area med students/obgyn residents are welcome, at their own expense (no CME fee, obviously), the number being limited by space constraints in the meeting hall. We will work this out as time goes by. Let me know by reply email if you are interested, we will put you on a list, and confirm if there is room at a later date

Jdc/aaplog

1. American College of Radiology (ACR) practice guideline for the performance of obstetrical ultrasound. In: ACR practice guidelines and technical standards, 2007. Reston (VA): ACR;2007.p.1025-1033.

2 Mongelli M, Wilcox M, Gardosi J. Estimating the date of confinement: ultrasonographic biometry versus certain menstrual dates. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1996;174:278.

ACOG Clinical Opinion # 501, dealing specifically with beneficent fetal intervention, logically extends to non-beneficent fetal intervention. It states, “Any fetal intervention, however, has implications for the pregnant woman’s health and necessarily her bodily integrity, and therefore, cannot be performed without her explicit informed consent………A pregnant woman’s right to informed consent must be respected fully.”