Extremes of opinion about this PA's 'Day'

To the Editor:

We want to voice our concerns about an article that was published in the June 2009 issue of JAAPA. The article followed the day of a physician assistant who works in a family planning clinic, aiding in abortion procedures. We do not want to debate the moral or professional issues that accompany abortion in this country, but we do want to discuss why an article that encourages the procedure was published in JAAPA.

Abortion has been, and remains, a hotly debated topic with many people on both sides of the argument. Contrary to popular belief in this country, a lot of people (including ourselves) believe with all their hearts that abortion is morally and professionally wrong except in the case of saving a mother's life. We do not have a problem with our fellow PAs or other providers having a different opinion, but we strongly believe that glorifying abortion is completely out of line in a medical journal. Publishing this article leads us to believe that you disagree with our belief about abortion and that's okay. However, we are offended that you think this article would benefit all of your readers. Many of your readers share our opinion and see abortion as disgusting and, other than to save the life of the mother, an act of murder. We opened our copy of JAAPA expecting to read about new advances in medicine or increase our medical knowledge, instead we were disappointed and angered to find an article on someone who goes against what we believe PAs work for every day in our respective clinics. To even think that PAs could find a niche aiding abortion procedures makes us feel sad about the progress of our profession.

We are not only upset about the article having been published, but we are also offended by the author's approach. The author highlighted the protesters outside her clinic as being overly aggressive and ignorant while portraying herself and her clinic as victims. Now, it's true that that some protesters are intimidating and violent; but those people are not the norm, and we do not condone their irresponsible behavior. The author goes on to say that abortion was the right decision for a high school girl who is in the second trimester of a pregnancy with a perfectly healthy baby. Who says this is the right decision? The article said this so casually that you could believe this is true and there can be no debate. At the end of the article, the author said that her job is tough but the rewards outweigh the disadvantages. We have no problem with her own feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction; however, we see abortion of healthy children as killing innocent lives. We are definitely outraged that her feelings of reward were published in a journal that we pay for with our annual dues. Again, she is entitled to her beliefs and her sense of purpose in the medical field, but this article does not belong in our PA journal when it can offend and frustrate many of its readers.

We continually see a liberal approach to ideas and politics taken by the AAPA and now in JAAPA, too. This has allowed us to see that our views for the PA profession are not in step with our national organization. Therefore, we are using up the rest of our paid subscription to JAAPA and membership in AAPA before we cancel it next year. We will find ways to increase our medical knowledge that do not subject us to articles that glorify viewpoints that we believe are completely wrong. Again, we are not against differing opinions or healthy debate, but this article neither debates the issue nor spotlights progress in the PA profession and, therefore, should not belong in a worthy medical journal.

Josh DuBose MS, PA-C (Family Practice)
Gwendolyn DuBose MS, PA-C (Pediatrics)
Conroe, Texas

To the Editor:

Why pick a PA working in an abortion clinic to follow in “A Day in the Life” (June 2009)? I believe references to such a hotly debated topic should be kept on the down low. I was not impressed with this lady's current job or her life. The last thing I want to do is to read about what people in that profession are doing on a daily basis. I found the details of this PA's life to be sad and sickening.

Johnathan Pierson, MPAS, PA-C

To the Editor:

I am writing to thank you for publishing “A Day in the Life” with Michelle M. Howe, MPAS, PA-C (June 2009). As a PA-C who has been providing first trimester abortions for more than 30 years, the article made me feel that finally the important work of reproductive health is getting some acknowledgement. Usually, at best, we get ignored; and at worst, we are killed. My friend Dr. George Tiller was the latest casualty. Aside from ACOG, the silence from all the medical organizations toward this violence, including AAPA, has been deafening.

I would not be at all surprised if JAAPA gets letters condemning Michelle, her article, and your willingness to publish it. I hope if that is the case, you will stand up for those of us who work tirelessly, and often under a lot of stress, to offer safe medical treatment for those women and families with a crisis pregnancy.

Susan Cahill, PA-C, MSW
Kalispell, Montana