New Ob/Gyn guidelines stir ethics, legal debate

The Bush administration says that new guidelines requiring physicians to make referrals for abortions or other procedures they don't wish to perform themselves may violate federal "conscience" laws. The new ethics guidelines were written by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and questions remain about whether a doctor would actually lose his or her certification as a specialist for refusing to make a referral. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has sent a letter challenging the policy to both the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the ACOG.