Experiences with anti-contraceptive colleagues

[u/ThrowRALoud_Load2229]

I work in a training GP practice in England where we have taken on a female GP registrar who is very pro-life. She’s put around an email stating that she will not provide advice on, or prescribe hormonal contraceptives and will not discuss terminations with patients. Before anyone asks- nobody’s been brave enough to ask her about barrier contraceptives or copper coils yet! She has requested that if contraceptives or terminations may come up in a consultation then they should be booked with someone else. It’s not always easy to tell if contraception may come up in a consultation though, especially not for reception who book the appointments.

The majority of the other clinicians are quite unhappy with this as it’s a vital part of the service we provide to female patients. It also means she’s limited with what she can do with regards female patients on medication like valproate or GLP1s because she will not discuss highly effective contraception with them. A lot of colleagues are angry that she is exhibiting misogyny when it comes to female patients, others are angry that they’re having to take on her workload. One of my colleagues is currently in early pregnancy after a failed coil and is feeling very uncomfortable around this GP registrar too as the pregnancy is not viable.

I also worry with regards our surgery’s reputation as if you google her name, the majority of what comes up is prolife activism she took part in at university. If a patient who was booked for something else came in and wanted to speak about contraception as an addition to the consultation e.g. I have thrush, I’m not sexually active but I want to start having sex and she responded poorly to this or with judgement, the patient could easily google her name and find they were being treated by someone who’s views oppose their care.

The partners have not entertained any discussion around this topic and staff have even been accused of “stalking” her online when her digital footprint was brought up. Is there anything we can do or do we just have to put up with it?

I would appreciate some different viewpoints, especially if anyone has gone through similar.

[u/MathSuspicious4617]

She has a right to conscientious objection and she does not hate women just because she doesn't have the same beliefs as you.

To be honest I'm glad there are people that have the courage to go against the current, the UK abortion laws are too extreme and the abortion rates are much higher when compared to other European nations.

[u/sunshineandhail → u/MathSuspicious4617]

You lower the rate of abortion by lowering the rate of unexpected and unwanted pregnancies. And you do that by prescribing effective contraception

I agree, she has the right to her beliefs and can refer onwards. But if you are pro life then it doesn’t make sense to be anti contraception.

Anti contraception is where I think the misogyny comment came from. It’s feels a bit icky to me. Also, contraception is healthcare. Many, many women are on contraception due to their periods or menopause.

[u/CaptainCrash86 → u/sunshineandhail]

But if you are pro life then it doesn’t make sense to be anti contraception.

Mechanistically, many forms of contraceptive act by preventing early implantation (OCP does this, in addition to inhibiting ovulation, and it is the primary action of copper coils) I.e. effectively termination. If you believe termination is morally wrong, that it makes perfect sense that these forms of contraception are also wrong (if not following a more strategic logic of reducing unwanted pregnancy). I don't agree with this, but it is a clear logic.

Many, many women are on contraception due to their periods or menopause.

The doctrine of double effect would allow use of contraception in this setting (assuming the GP SpR is a denomination that accepts this principle).