In a committee statement published Tuesday, ACOG stated immigration policies that "result in mass detention, incarceration, and deportation" only exacerbate pre-existing health disparities that immigrants face.
"Obstetrician–gynecologists and other reproductive health care professionals should be prepared to practice immigration-informed care and ensure clinical spaces are welcoming to immigrants," ACOG said.
Throughout the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, reports have come forward of pregnant detainees facing medical neglect, in some cases resulting in miscarriages. The 19th reported last month about a pregnant mother in ICE custody who said she has experienced heavy bleeding and cramps for weeks but has only had one emergency room visit.
ACOG stated its support for the right to seek asylum, encouraged obstetrician–gynecologists to actively engage in advocacy efforts at all levels to ensure health access regardless of immigration status and made clear its position opposing "policies that allow immigration-enforcement activities or require disclosure or documentation of immigration status within health care facilities."
"Immigrants—both documented and undocumented—face tremendous barriers in accessing essential reproductive and pregnancy care, because only a handful of states offer comprehensive prenatal and postpartum coverage and even fewer offer abortion care, regardless of immigration status," said Rose Molina, lead author of the committee statement.
"To make matters worse, many categories of lawfully present immigrants are now no longer eligible to receive care through Medicaid or the ACA Marketplace after the passage of H.R. 1," she added.
"Those who do still qualify for coverage may fear that enrolling could jeopardize their immigration status, which may result in delayed care, untreated and preventable health conditions, and worsen health outcomes."
ACOG has previously criticized the Trump administration's positions regarding pregnancy care, coming out strongly against President Trump's claim last year that "taking Tylenol is not good."
"In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children," ACOG President Steven Fleischman said at the time.
Trump blasted ACOG as being "funded by lots of different groups," and that they're "fighting for something that, in my opinion, they shouldn't be fighting for."
No comments:
Post a Comment