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Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women reminded those attending the hearings that “these regulations werenot the result of a health of-•ficiaTs musing, but the result of consistent and concentrated work on the part of concerned community people, especially women/9 She also stressed the importance of the regulation^because “without access to fullabout medicalsterilized “not for health or safety but for socio-economic reasons.” Peggy Carlin, of the Native American Solidarity Committee, claimed that 95per cent of sterilizations were not done according to any regulations^ and thatsterilization has become a formof genocide. She stated-tltyt: infant mortality is twice as high among Native Americans as among whites, and that this ininformaalternatives)Continued from Page 1“The Department of Health has a broad mandate to protect the public health and authority to promulgate these sterilization regulations is included within that mandate,” Grubb said.The CMA and CHA also feel that the health department doesn’t have the legal authority to issue regulations covering private patients. Dr. Jerome Lackner, State Health Director, said that the regulations should be applied to private patients as well as Medi-Cal patients because the state should maintain a uniform medical standard for everyone.Dr. Carol Winograd, a Stanford physician, testified at the hearings that the regulations did not violate the privacy of patients nor were they methods to control the CMA. “The regulations state, in plain English, what should be the essence of standard medical care,” Winograd said.The CHA is also concerned with the costs of implementing the regulations, especially those regarding the reporting requirements. In answer to this point, the Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women stressed that hospitals cannot equate patients rights to be free from abuse and duress with finances. “Hospitals find the money for fancy expensive machines.” the Coalition said, ”but complain vehemently when safeguards fo?^j»atients are proposed which' require minimal financial adjustments.”NOW’S clarificationRecent reports concerning the position taken by the National Organization ofThe noon rally on February 12 in front of the State Building in Sar Francisco in support of the proposed sterilization regulations. Entertainment was offered by Alicia deAnda, guitarist and singer Mo Kaa, poet, and the Native American Drum Group of Oakland. Speakers included Peggy Tucker, health worker, and Dee Fairbanks, Project Coordinator of American Indian Adult Education in Oakland.Women (NOW) stated that the group was against the proposals. Shelley Fernandez, a NOW spokesperson, testified however that those reports were untrue, and that they were a devisive tactic by the media to separate women on this issue. ,The SupportThe testimony recorded at the hearings in San Francisco was clearly supportive of the proposed regulations. Individuals testified about recorded abuses under the existing regulations and offered reasons why the newregulations must be adopted.Joanne Miller, a counselor at the SFGH sterilization clinic, spoke of the need for the 14 day wait period. She said that of 211 calls requesting counseling for sterilization, only 138 appointments were kept, 70 of those were scheduled for surgery and 12 of the 70 cancelled during the 14 day wait ^- *' • •• * ■ .: ’ ’ *Rahema Amun of theCoalition said: “Nearly one half of the women who sought sterilization information at SF General did not return for the procedure. That to me is a good counseling program!”Dee Fairbanks of the Native American Women’s group sited the case of Norma Jean Serina, a woman who was sterilized “not for safety but forreasons.ftamongamong whites, and part due to the fact that these women have their babies at home rather than risk unwanted sterilization in thehospital.Noted in a testimony submitted by the Bay Area Committee against Forced Sterilization was the fact that sterilization programs instituted by the U. S. in Puerto Rico has resulted in 35 per cent of women of child-bearing age now sterilized. The Committee also claims that recent U. S. statistics show 20 per cent of married Black women as having sterilized.Higher values soughtElizabeth Price, a representing the California Nurses Association (CNA) said that her organization supported the regulations because they support the “self determination of health care consumers which will decrease the dependency oh health care systems and providers.” In reference to the 14 day waiting period, Price said, “We hope that there exists higher values than speed and efficiency among the physicians.”DorieWilsnack of the for the Medicalreminded hearings were of-and will never be able to really control what happens to them when they go to a doctor or the hospital.”Hearings, rally on sterilization guidelines
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San Francisco Synapse
San Francisco, California, US
Thu, Feb 17, 1977
Page 4
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USA 12 May 2022
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