Religious Healthcare

One in five hospital beds in the country are in religious hospitals, usually Catholic ones. These hospitals often place religious restrictions on health care, most commonly denying patients abortions, miscarriage management, birth control, infertility treatments, vasectomies, and tubal sterilizations. ANSIRH research shows that patients may not know their hospitals are Catholic — and even if they do, they may not realize how these hospitals restrict care. Still, in many areas, a religious hospital is the only nearby option, leaving patients who need this kind of care with few choices.