More in the way of vile and stupid.

[draggonlaady]

Don't fall if you're preggers. You may get arrested for attempted feticide, despite promptly requesting medical care and stating that you intend to keep the baby.

Comments

[draggonlaady.livejournal.com]

Hippocratic oath does not require confidentiality. Just promises not to do something you think will cause medical harm.

Unlikely that they'll make pregnancy illegal--this issue is typically driven by anti-abortion fanatics. You may be amused by blaghag's take on it. (http://www.blaghag.com/2011/04/most-logical-abortion-laws.html)

[myuphrid.livejournal.com]

"All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal."
-- From a translation of the original text of the Oath.

"I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know..."
-- From a more modern version.

I know that taking the Oath isn't mandatory, but one would've hoped that doctors would try to keep to it anyway.

[draggonlaady.livejournal.com]

Don't mistake me, I think the doctor is a schmuck, and the nurse too. But technically, he didn't reveal her medical issues to the public ("disclosed that the world may know"). He apparently told the police he feared that she might have tried (and therefore might try again) to intentionally end her pregnancy in a way very harmful to herself. It could be (and probably will be) argued that he thought he was acting in the best interests of the mother's long-term physical and mental health, as well as the interests of the fetus. I haven't looked for other articles that are less obviously slanted against the doctor and police on this case, it's possible that it's not quite so clear-cut as expressed here.

If he honestly believes she tried to end her pregnancy by throwing herself down the stairs, he'd be right. If I had a friend who wanted to end her pregnancy so badly she was flinging herself off of landings, I'd have to agree she needed to be kept for observation. 'Course, I'd also personally drive her somewhere to get a safe abortion, so at that point I apparently diverge dramatically from this doctor's opinions and choices.