Stories from Physicians

Why Women in the Military Need Access to Abortion: Stories from Physicians

My patient Erica* was stationed in the Middle East and working as an Arabic translator when she was raped by her commanding officer. She became pregnant as a result and wanted an abortion. Erica couldn’t end her pregnancy at her base’s medical facility unless she reported the rape, which she refused to do. She feared that her rapist would physically assault her if she turned him in. She also worried that he would go out of his way to hurt her career. Erica had no choice but to fly home to have an abortion.

Erica knew she was pregnant at four weeks, but she had to wait another ten weeks before she could go home. In addition to increasing the medical risk of her abortion, this ten-week delay complicated Erica’s emotional recovery from the rape. Her pregnancy was a constant reminder of the attack. — Morris Wortman, MD; Rochester, NY

Gail* is a 22-year-old U.S. Army private who was raped at a military base in Afghanistan. She became pregnant and wanted an abortion, but military insurance covers termination only if the woman’s life is in danger—rape doesn’t count. Gail had no choice but to come home for the procedure, interrupting her service and her career. I met her at my Rochester office in November. Although she knew she was pregnant at two weeks gestation, Gail didn’t have her abortion for another 12 weeks. She faced “red-tape” delays in coming home plus the difficulty of raising the money for her procedure. Her sole source of financial support was her mother who was living on a fixed, low income. The man who raped Gail was court-martialed and awaits trial.  – Morris Wortman, MD; Rochester, NY

*Names changed to protect patient privacy.