Arizona Teenager Denied Vital Autoimmune Medication Due to Abortion Ban
For Immediate Release: Oct. 5, 2022
WASHINGTON — Today, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Arizona responded to recent news of an Arizona teenager who was denied vital autoimmune disease medication due to the state’s new abortion ban. The teenager has rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions and takes methotrexate, which is prescribed for many autoimmune conditions. She was denied the medication because it can also be used to treat ectopic pregnancies.
Statement from Megan N. Freeland, PharmD, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Health Communications director:
“For months, abortion advocates, providers, and supporters have emphasized how far-reaching the consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade would be — not just on abortion care, but on the entire health care system. We are watching this terrifying reality unfold in real time.
When anyone — in this case, a 14-year-old girl — is unable to get the medication they need to maintain their quality of life because of abortion bans, we should be deeply concerned about the state of our country. A patient who is not seeking a medication abortion should never have to worry that their pharmacist won’t fill their prescription simply because it can also be used for abortion care. But this is the dangerous position the courts and anti-abortion lawmakers have forced upon patients and providers alike.
At Planned Parenthood, we firmly believe that all people deserve access to the health care they need, no matter what. Pharmacists continue to be some of the most trusted health care providers. Our ethical responsibility is to help patients get the care and information they need, not to be a roadblock that keeps patients from getting that care. Pharmacists, and all health care providers, must be able to do their jobs, without fear of criminalization.”
Statement from Jill Gibson, MD, Planned Parenthood Arizona medical director:
“Every day in Arizona we are seeing the dangerous repercussions of the cruel near-total abortion ban now being enforced in our state -- harm that goes far beyond essential reproductive health care. This ban is exacerbating problems in our already-strained health care and social systems, as I have long feared. I am hearing stories of patients being denied medications they critically need to treat common disorders simply because those same medications are often used for abortion care. Not only is denying medication dangerous, it is simply wrong. Patients’ care should not be compromised, nor should patients be sent on a wild goose chase for common drugs because of a resurrected ban more than a century-old. Abortion bans have no place in modern medicine. As a physician, watching Arizonans bear the far-reaching ripple effect of abortion bans is heart-wrenching and medically unethical.”
Abortion rights advocates and health care organizations have long warned of the devastating outcomes of abortion bans on medication and health care access. Abortion bans and restrictions on medication abortion leave pharmacists and medical providers in fear of criminal and licensure penalities, potentially delaying or fully withholding access to vital, lifesaving medications to patients who need them.
Last month, a Pima County Court judge in Arizona allowed an 1864 abortion ban to take effect and denied Planned Parenthood Arizona’s motion for appeal. Abortion is now banned in the state except to save the pregnant person’s life.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.