Change.org Petition: Denied care - End doctors ability to deny treatment for “child bearing age” patients

Tara has lived most of her life with excruciatingly painful cluster headaches, caused by a rare genetic condition. When she recently visited a doctor to try a new medication for her pain, help was denied. The doctor refused to prescribe the medication because Tara is of childbearing age. Tara is not pregnant and doesn’t intend to become pregnant. But a "conscience clause" allowed this doctor to refuse treatment because of his own personal beliefs. Tara says the possibility of discrimination with a conscience clause is staggering. Sign to join her fight to ensure equitable access to essential medical care. End doctors ability to deny treatment for “child bearing age” patients 29,418 have signed Tara Rule’s petition. Let’s get to 35,000!

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The discrimination ends HERE. I, like so many others in the United States suffer everyday with a chronic medical condition.  I, like so many others in the United States have been denied the most effective treatment for my condition due to being of “child bearing age”, despite not wanting children or being pregnant.  As someone who does not want to become pregnant and is not currently pregnant, I was devastated when I was denied medical care because the most effective treatments could cause birth defects if I were to become pregnant while taking the medication. I contimplated ending my own suffering in that moment. I was outraged and went to social media to vent. My outrage turned from the doctor who denied me care to our current legislation and medical system that is failing us once I saw the millions of others who have also been denied necessary care because they have a uterus and are of a certain age. (listen to the conversation here: approx. 2 minute mark recording starts) https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRaFWQb7/ Hundreds of thousands reached out saying they have considered taking their own lives for the same reason.  THIS IS KILLING PEOPLE.  As a living, breathing human being who exists, I feel it is absurd that doctors who are expected to provide the best, most effective care and treatments to their patients are able to deny effective treatments due to the potential for birth defects in patients of child bearing age who are not currently pregnant without disciplinary action.  Legislation needs to be put in place to reprimand any physician or insurance company that chooses to prioritize a hypothetical life that does not exist over the well being of a suffering human being who actually EXISTS.  Doctors and insurance providers are pushing their own personal agendas on suffering people who are in need of treatment. WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY EXISTS! PERIOD.  I, like so many others, do not want children. That is my right as a citizen of the United States of America. As someone who suffers from a genetic disorder, I have the right to choose to not pass this condition and the suffering that goes along with it onto a child.  Refusal to treat a patient with the most effective treatment simply because the patient could physically become pregnant in the future is discriminatory. In the past, doctors, pharmacists, and medical volunteers could not deny care or provide negligent medical care to any patient based on sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or age. With the renewed federal legislation regarding Conscience Clauses - doctors, pharmacists, and medical volunteers are federally protected and are within their rights to deny any person any medical care based on their own personal beliefs, religious beliefs, or morals. This leaves so much room for discrimination. Worst of all - none of these physicians are required to inform their patients or potential patients of any treatments, procedures, or medications that they object to. We do not have informed consent to our health care without access to that information.  Physicians and insurance companies are pushing their own personal agendas and beliefs onto suffering patients who are paying for their care.  Conscience clauses are allowing doctors to deny care to patients in need based on their personal convictions. This is unconstitutional, it is against the ADA, and is discriminatory. As long as Conscience clauses are intact, Doctors should be required to publicly inform all patients and potential patients of any/all moral or religious objections to procedures or care. Without this information, patients do not have informed consent when it comes to their health care. It ends here.Please sign to show your support so that we can bring this to the highest level of our government and ensure that the continued suffering and deaths of citizens of the United States stops here. Please watch my story here: This affects so many people the same way it affects me.  Watch here   Thank you.

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