Refusal to prescribe EC in Italy met with legal action

In contrast to the stories of EC refusal we’ve been hearing about in Poland, recent stories of EC refusal in Italy have been met with legal action and consequences. In the province of Pavia, a nurse has resigned following an investigation by the hospital she worked at into why she denied EC access to two women who requested it. The nurse, who refused access to two women in their twenties who requested EC in the middle of the night, claimed that she did it in an effort to help them save lives and that her motives were based solely on her conscious and religion. Read the full article in Italian here. Additionally, in Vicenza, denial of EC access has led to prosecution. A doctor who refused to provide EC has been found to be in breach of her duties as a doctor of public health and will receive a disciplinary measure. The case now goes to the courts for final judgement. For more information, see the full article in Italian here.

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