Bishops and Bodies: Reproductive Care in American Catholic Hospitals (Critical Issues in Health and Medicine)

Author: Freedman, Lori

Number Of Pages: 228

EAN: 9781978828872

Release Date: 14-07-2023

Languages: English

Binding: hardcover

Package Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches

Details: Winner of the 2024 Donald W. Light Award for Applied Medical Sociology, American Sociological Association's Section on Medical Sociology

One out of every six patients in the United States is treated in a Catholic hospital that follows the policies of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These policies prohibit abortion, sterilization, contraception, some treatments for miscarriage and gender confirmation, and other reproductive care, undermining hard-won patients’ rights to bodily autonomy and informed decision-making. Drawing on rich interviews with patients and providers, this book reveals both how the bishops’ directives operate and how people inside Catholic hospitals navigate the resulting restrictions on medical practice. In doing so, Bishops and Bodies fleshes out a vivid picture of how The Church’s stance on sex, reproduction, and “life” itself manifests in institutions that affect us all.