Planned Parenthood refuses to disclose information in forced, botched abortion case

Two days ago, on February 20, 2013, Alliance Defending Freedom announced its representation of Ayanna Byer – the victim of a forced, botched abortion. Ms. Byer is suing Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains as well as one of its abortion doctors. Live Action’s Heidi Miller has already discussed Ms. Byer’s filed complaint, including its seven specific claims against Planned Parenthood.

Many are understandably horrified and outraged that Planned Parenthood would perpetrate this kind of horrible actions against a woman. One of the saddest portions of the complaint states:

[B]efore the I.V. was inserted and before the Plaintiff received any anesthesia, the Planned Parenthood Doctor began the procedure to abort the pregnancy.

At this time, Plaintiff immediately told the Planned Parenthood Doctor to stop and that she did not want to go through with the abortion procedure because she had not received any anesthetic.  Plaintiff also informed Planned Parenthood Doctor and agents or employees of Planned Parenthood Defendants that she believed this to be a sign she should not go through with the abortion.  The Planned Parenthood Doctor did not stop despite Plaintiff’s request, and assured Plaintiff the I.V. would be administered and the procedure would only take a few minutes.

At this time, the Planned Parenthood Doctor turned on the vacuum machines and told Plaintiff it was too late to stop.

Undoubtedly, many have also been waiting to hear just how Planned Parenthood would respond. Finally, today, a short and highly inadequate response was released. The release is full of practiced rhetoric and meaningless phrases, considering how Ms. Byer was violated. And instead of addressing the real issues at hand, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has chosen to hide behind “privacy” practices and patient “confidentiality.”

Here is the release:

DENVER – “As the largest provider of comprehensive reproductive health care services in Colorado, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains meets the medical needs of over 84,000 women and men each year. More than 1 in 5 American women has been to a Planned Parenthood health center in her lifetime. Our network of health centers across the state offers high-quality, affordable family planning, testing, treatment, and prevention services provided by a committed staff of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. We are very proud of the care we provide to each of our patients.

“We are also very aware of our obligation to protect our patients’ confidentiality in keeping with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and other limitations on the disclosure of medical information. Apart from these legal requirements, Planned Parenthood has long maintained its own high standard for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of each of our patients. Thus, we cannot comment on the care we provide to any particular patient, or confirm that any individual has sought our care.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of the patients we serve.”

Somehow, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains thinks that a mere 185 words is an acceptable response to a woman who almost died, based on their purported actions. Since Planned Parenthood claims to serve “84,000 women and men” each year, does that make Ayanna Byer’s near death experience and the forced killing of her child less important? Is it impossible for them to show one ounce of concern for what happened to Ms. Byer?

How many other women are forced to stay inside Planned Parenthood when they change their minds about abortion?

Perhaps “1 in 5 American women” has “been to a Planned Parenthood health center in her lifetime.” If this is indeed the case, one fifth of American women ought to be very worried now. Will Planned Parenthood force them to have an abortion against their wishes? Will Planned Parenthood botch procedures performed on them, commit gross negligence, and basically leave them to die?

How, in the name of anything holy, can Planned Parenthood use the violation of Ms. Byer and her child to claim that they are “very proud of the care” they provide? This is care? No, this is death – forced death.

Granted, Planned Parenthood is correct that the HIPAA Privacy Policy prevents them from disclosing information about specific patients, such as Ayanna Byer. However, it is also very clear in the HIPAA Policy that a medical care provider is free to disclose information if it gets authorization from the patient. Has Planned Parenthood bothered to contact Ms. Byer or her attorneys to request permission to speak about this situation? Or do they have something to hide? Do they have a personal reason to keep quiet while claiming it is for the benefit of their patients?

After checking multiple pro-abortion sites, it is clear that they all wish to remain silent on the claims of Ms. Byer. Each has failed to address the horrors that Ms. Byer was subjected to. Thankfully, however, the news media is beginning to address her case. We must each take part in revealing the real truth and the real horrors perpetrated on women during abortion.