LETTERS: CAREGIVER BILL IS CHOICE

To the editor:

Does not the state of Missouri have a moral obligation to ensure that the women of Missouri who are contemplating an abortion make an informed decision and act freely on that decision? Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 741, the Caregiver Bill, attempts to do just that.

Vetoed by Gov. Mel Carnahan following last year's legislative session, the Caregiver Bill has been reintroduced. Previous versions of this bill were criticized because its opponents felt the bill didn't have enough safeguards with confidentiality, made it difficult to find a caregiver and didn't provide penalties for harassment against a woman. The current version has addressed those concerns, and now it is a better piece of legislation.

This bill is basically about informed consent, a principle of medical ethics central to the practice of medicine in the United States. The pro-choice position bases its argument upon the woman's right to choose. However, in order to choose, one must have all of the necessary information. Otherwise, one isn't making an informed choice.

THOMAS G. HOOYMAN, Medical Ethicist

St. John's Mercy Health System

St. Louis