ACOG (American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology) represents the advocacy for equal health care for all women, and increased patient involvement of the medical process. While the mission statement of ACOG represents this statement in no way is this statement true, ACOG supports doctor’s needs much more than the patients. As a recommendation from ACOG doctors have continued to push for more C-Sections which explain the dramatic increase in c-sections of more than 50% since 1996 (Why has the USA’S cesarean section rate climbed so high). This provides an environment where nurses, midwives, and patients are not allowed to challenge the authority of an obstetrician and new drugs are tested on patients before they can be approved by the FDA. This causes sometimes fatal effects on the patient. This may also result in fear on doctors of litigation because they anticipate that something will go wrong.
In “Born in the USA” by Wagner Marsden a scenario was given where an obstetrician (Dr. S) decided to conduct a study using a drug to induce labor for women that had previously had c-sections. The label of the drug clearly stated that the drug should not be used for induction of labor but Dr. S decided to carry on with this study anyway. After working on creating the drug (although it wasn’t approved) Dr. S used the drug on a woman who came to him after previously having a c-section. “After a normal pregnancy, she was admitted to the hospital and without her knowing it, she became part of Dr. S’s study. (It appears that Dr. S’s claim that all women were informed of the study was false.) Dr. S gave her the drug to induce labor, the drug led to overly strong contractions, a condition known as uterine hyperstimulation, and then to uterine rupture. As a result, the woman’s baby was severely brain damaged and died in infancy” (Pg. 62). What action was taken against the obstetrician, one may ask. The obstetrician wasn’t penalized because he abused the idea that he was using this study for research. Some obstetricians are exploiting patients for the benefit of their practice.
Many doctors are fearful because the idea of being sued is not very pleasant. It means you would lose your practice and everything you have worked for. “ACOG also uses fear of litigation to control doctors and hospitals. If doctors and hospitals go against one of their recommendations, they are more vulnerable to litigation. At a policy level, ACOG uses another brand of fear to control women, politicians, and the media” (Born in the USA, Pg. 27). ACOG is what’s trying to make pregnancy and birth more medicalized in the United States. There are many recommendations they make for doctors and hospitals that they must follow or they will be sued. “Broadly, half (51%) of all physicians think that their ability to provide quality medical care to patients has gotten worse in the past five years. Further, more than three-fourths of physicians feel that concern about malpractice litigation (76%) has hurt their ability to provide quality care in recent years” (Fear of Litigation: The impact on Medicine). Is it justifiable to place most of the blame on doctors?
ACOG relates to the medicalization of pregnancy and birth in the United States. If we continue to let these companies control how we give birth then they will begin controlling even more aspects of our lives. This project has given me more insights on pregnancy and birth and after finding some of the atrocities I will keep these in mind because I plan to have children one day.
Works Cited:
*Common Good. April 11th, 2002. Fear of Litigation: The Impact on Medicine. http://commongood.org/healthcare-reading-cgpubs-polls-6.html
*Wagner, Marsden. Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System must be Fixed to put Women and Children first. California: University of California Press, 2006. Print.
ACOG seemed to be on the women's side but in fact they support more for doctor's benefits. Because of ACOG, C-section rates have risen, unsafe drugs are used on mothers, and doctors are unable to speak up for fear of litigation.
ReplyDeleteI like your use of statistics to back-up your claims that ACOG is not really for the benefit of women. I also found your post clear and to the point and was an interesting read.
This matters to me because ACOG controls the decisions doctors make. The doctor's role should be to give fair choices to patients and not making irrational decisions because they don't want to get in trouble. It's important to know who's behind these problems in hospitals.
Raven,
ReplyDeleteAfter researching ACOG, you helped the reader understand what ACOG means and the lies it made to women in thinking it was good, when in fact C-sections rose! It was an informative project, that taught me something new. This is a matter I believe is significant because it shows us the other side of the usual "good" and clean hospitals view we are used to seeing in TV. Your project mattered to me because it helped me see in a new view hospitals as has this entire unit. Making me have a change in heart of how I would like to give birth one day. The only thing would add to your project would be what was ACOG's opinion on all this? thank you enjoyed reading this.
"ACOG relates to the medicalization of pregnancy and birth in the United States. If we continue to let these companies control how we give birth then they will begin controlling even more aspects of our lives." I like this because your stating that if we let the companies to control our birth then they will start to control the rest of our lives.However I am interested in how if it were to happen, what changes could happen? This matters the information that was given because us as a society depend on medical care.
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