South Carolina providers push back against faith-based assaults on abortion care

by Emma Akpan
August 14, 2025

… In January 2025, five doctors sued the state of South Carolina against the 2023 Heartbeat Law, which prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, or after about nine weeks. Their lawsuit is particularly important, as the Heartbeat Law was instrumental in the state Supreme Court's decision to uphold the six-week abortion ban. For these doctors, not only is the decision devastating for patients, but exemplifies why anti-abortion advocates, lawmakers, and religious leaders should not be allowed to use their faith to implement a life-threatening law that doctors must unquestionably follow.

The plaintiffs have therefore inverted faith-based pro-life logic by counter-arguing the questions: Don't doctors who need to administer abortions get to use their faith to challenge such laws? And if the other side can claim conscientiousness to prohibit abortion, then why can't doctors claim conscientiousness to protect their right to perform abortions?

Continued: https://scalawagmagazine.org/2025/08/south-carolina-providers-push-back-against-faith-based-assaults-on-abortion-care/

USA – ‘Conscience’ bills let medical providers opt out of providing a wide range of care

Carly Graf, KFF Health News
July 31, 2023

A new Montana law will provide sweeping legal protections to health care practitioners who refuse to prescribe marijuana or participate in procedures and treatments such as abortion, medically assisted death, gender-affirming care, or others that run afoul of their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles.

The law, which goes into effect in October, will gut patients’ ability to take legal action if they believe they didn’t receive proper care due to a conscientious objection by a provider or an institution, such as a hospital.

Continued: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/31/conscience-bills-healthcare-providers-not-give-medical-care/70470186007/

Is Europe next? Concerns over abortion rights rise after Supreme Court overturns Roe

“The fact it’s become a talking point is a massive step forward. Whatever anyone’s views are on abortion, it’s not helpful if we can’t talk about it,” one abortion rights opponent said.

Aug. 7, 2022
By Patrick Smith

LONDON — Abortion rights opponents have long been stuck on the fringes of politics in much of Western Europe. The Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has many in the movement hoping that is about to change.

That abortion was thrust into the headlines and onto the agenda has been a big step forward, said Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a co-director of March for Life U.K., an annual event in September in London.

Continued: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/europe-concerns-abortion-rights-rise-supreme-court-overturns-roe-rcna38651

GMC backs down after Christian doctor Dermot Kearney challenges restrictions on anti-abortion pills following complaint by MSI Reproductive Choices

The General Medical Council (GMC) has dramatically lifted restrictions on a Christian NHS consultant who had been banned from providing emergency support to women in crisis pregnancies, ahead of his planned challenge to the measures in the High Court this week.

By Philip Bradfield
Sunday, 6th March 2022

Campaign group Christian Concern reported that the GMC dismissed every allegation against Dr Dermot Kearney and concluded that there is no case to answer.

Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Dr Kearney, an experienced Hospital consultant from Tyne and Wear, had been blocked from providing Abortion Pill Reversal treatment (APR) in 2021 by an Interim Orders Tribunal, following a GMC referral.

Continued: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/health/gmc-backs-down-after-challenge-over-anti-abortion-pills-3598882

06.03.2022

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Australia – Catholic doctors urged to back George Christensen’s ‘nonsensical’ abortion bill

Catholic Medical Association asks members to support bill critics say will only inflict harm

Amy Remeikis
Mon 5 Jul 2021

Catholic doctors are being urged to support
George Christensen’s “nonsensical” abortion bill, leading to concerns medical
professionals could impose their religious beliefs on patients.

The Catholic Medical Association has sent out an email to members asking them
to put their name to a letter supporting Christensen’s Children Born Alive
Protection bill which seeks to enforce providing “life-sustaining treatment” to
all foetuses “born alive”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/06/catholic-doctors-urged-to-back-george-christensens-nonsensical-abortion-bill