Clinical Restrictions
- return to the Research Consortium on Religious Healthcare Institutions
What areas of reproductive health are affected by religious restrictions?
Answer: The following procedures and services may be denied as a result of religious restrictions on healthcare provided in religiously-affiliated healthcare: Infertility treatment, abortion, miscarriage management, contraception, vasectomy, and tubal-sterilization are most commonly affected.
Beyond the individual cases cited in the media and described by physicians in these qualitative studies, we lack sufficient data on how health outcomes are affected by the religion of the hospital. For example, more research is needed to assess whether women who deliver in Catholic hospitals which prohibit post-partum contraception have higher rates of unintended pregnancies, abortions, and any associated adverse health outcomes, as well as whether racial and socioeconomic disparities are worsened by restricting care in this way.
Resources:
Visit our resources page for a list of media articles and publications on how religious directives impact reproductive healthcare decisions.
