Ohio pediatricians: 'Future we had feared.' More will face fate of girl who got abortion

Margaret Stager and Elise Berlan
·3 min read
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Dr. Margaret Stager and Dr. Elise Berlan are pediatricians in Ohio who specialize in adolescent medicine. Stager is chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Adolescent Health. Berlan is a member of the AAP Committee on Adolescence Executive Committee and a co-author of AAP’s policy statements on reproductive health care.

As Ohio pediatricians, we were appalled when we learned about the 10-year-old girl who was raped and, unable to receive legal abortion care in Ohio, received an abortion in Indiana, where the procedure was legal.

More:Arrest made in rape of Ohio girl that led to Indiana abortion drawing international attention

This is the future we had feared, unfolding before us, having caused additional hardship and unwarranted publicity for this girl who had already been traumatized.

We are very concerned about abortion restrictions that will undoubtedly impact the lives of the patients we care for. In this instance, a child’s trauma was thrust into the national spotlight and sensationalized. Instead of focusing on the care she needed, the child became the center of a political fight.

We were further alarmed by the threat of criminal prosecution against the physician who provided legal and medically appropriate care for her.

This physician has received death threats against her and her family and continues to be targeted in baseless attacks. This goes against everything we know as doctors who have dedicated our careers to supporting young people. But sadly, it is exactly what we feared following the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.

More:How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch

This child experienced a sexual assault.

She required urgent attention to her medical and psychological needs, including trauma-based care. It is estimated that one-quarter of girls in the United States experience sexual abuse and/or sexual assault before they reach adulthood.

More:Letters: Forcing a 10-year-old to have a baby could end her life in more than one way

Every year in Ohio and in this country, girls and adolescents are victims of sexual crimes and suffer mental anguish, trauma, sexually transmitted infections, and for some, pregnancy.

They deserve compassion, privacy, and the opportunity to make their own decisions about a pregnancy with the support and guidance of their parents or guardians when appropriate and their health care provider, without interference from external influences.

The Supreme Court’s ruling and restrictive policies across the country have quickly transformed the care of these difficult and sensitive patient scenarios into extraordinarily challenging decisions and highly complex management plans.

Dr. Elise Berlan is a pediatrician in Ohio who specializes in adolescent medicine. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Adolescence Executive Committee and a co-author of AAP’s policy statements on reproductive health care.
Dr. Elise Berlan is a pediatrician in Ohio who specializes in adolescent medicine. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Adolescence Executive Committee and a co-author of AAP’s policy statements on reproductive health care.

Adolescents have historically faced challenges to accessing abortion, with young people of color, young people in rural and medically underserved areas, low income youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and those involved in the juvenile justice and foster care system experiencing additional barriers.

We are specialists in adolescent medicine and we understand that access to evidence-based sexual health information and comprehensive reproductive health services are critical to ensuring that young people grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

More:Theodore Decker: A child rape victim is trashed for the sake of political theater

Adolescents who can make informed decisions about their reproductive health are optimally positioned to achieve their educational goals, advance their economic opportunities, and create their best future.

Everyone deserves this regardless of their circumstances.

University of Miami pediatrician Judith L. Schaechter gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl in her office. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends its doctors have a conversation about sex and sexuality with their teen patients. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
University of Miami pediatrician Judith L. Schaechter gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl in her office. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends its doctors have a conversation about sex and sexuality with their teen patients. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Nothing should stand in the way of a physician’s ability to provide evidence-based guidance and medical care. The physician-patient relationship is a sacred one, built on trust and shared decision-making.

Too many young people will now find themselves caught in the aftermath of this political fight, with their health and lives on the line. Our patients deserve better.

The 10-year-old girl deserved better. We can and must do better for all who seek reproductive health care in our state.

Dr. Margaret Stager and Dr. Elise Berlan are pediatricians in Ohio who specialize in adolescent medicine. Stager is chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Adolescent Health. Berlan is a member of the AAP Committee on Adolescence Executive Committee and a co-author of AAP’s policy statements on reproductive health care.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What will be the impact of Ohio's abortion law on kids?