Important Update from Women’s Law Project:
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Public Health Association recommend that emergency contraception is offered to all rape patients at risk of pregnancy. Some states mandate hospitals to provide such care. Pennsylvania law, however, allows hospitals to “not provide emergency contraception due to a stated religious or moral belief contrary to providing this medication.” Pennsylvania law also allows hospitals to opt out of providing all sexual assault emergency care beyond life-saving measures.
In the event of an emergency such as a sexual assault, it’s important that you know if your local hospital refuses to provide emergency contraception or does not provide sexual assault emergency services at all. As Catholic hospitals expand their presence through mergers—one in six patients are now treated in a Catholic hospital–so do ideological limits on procedures and treatment. Many facilities provide little or no information up front about procedures they won’t perform.
However, they must report their refusal to the state Department of Health.
According to the Pennsylvania Bulletin, these fourteen Pennsylvania-based hospitals may not provide emergency contraception to rape victims:
- Holy Spirit Hospital – Camp Hill, 17011
- Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital – Jersey Shore, 17740
- Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital – Darby, 19023
- Suburban Community Hospital – East Norriton, 19401
- Millcreek Community Hospital – Erie, 16509
- Muncy Valley Hospital – Muncy, 17756
- Nazareth Hospital – Philadelphia, 19152
- Physicians Care Surgical Hospital – Royersford, 19468
- Regional Hospital of Scranton – Scranton, 18501
- Sacred Heart Hospital – Allentown, 18102
- St. Joseph Medical Center – Reading, 19603
- St. Mary Medical Center – Langhorne, 19047
- UPMC Mercy – Pittsburgh, 15219
- Williamsport Regional Medical Center – Williamsport, 17701
These eight hospitals may not provide sexual assault emergency services beyond life-saving measures:
- Allied Services Institute of Rehabilitation-Scranton – Scranton, 18501
- Holy Redeemer Hospital – Meadowbrook, 19046
- John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine-Wilkes-Barre – Wilkes-Barre Township, 18702
- Kindred Hospital South Philadelphia – Philadelphia, 19145
- OSS Health – York, 17402
- Physicians Care Surgical Hospital – Royersford, 19468
- Rothman Orthopedic Specialty Hospital – Bensalem, 19020
- WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital – York, 17403
