When religion is used to justify the denial of healthcare, patients’ health and well-being are jeopardized, and they can suffer catastrophic harm as a result.
Yet some claim that healthcare providers should be able to use religion as a reason to deny certain services or to turn away certain patients. Women and LGBT patients bear the brunt of these efforts, which are usually focused on reproductive healthcare and mental health counseling, though some seek to permit healthcare providers to refuse to provide any services that are contrary to their religious beliefs.
We oppose these efforts because a person’s access to healthcare should not depend on someone else’s religion.