Doctors Should Be Free to Choose Their Patients

Re “Lesbian Sues Over Physician’s Refusal to Do Insemination,” Feb. 18: I was very angry about the suit that Lupita Benitez is bringing against her physician, Dr. Christine Brody, for refusing to perform a procedure that she, Brody, did not wish to do. Since when did physicians become just automated tools of society?

The issue here is not the patient’s sexual orientation, and it is not the doctor’s religious beliefs -- it is about physicians’ rights to choose whom we will treat and how. Do lawyers get sued for declining to take a case? If we physicians can be sued for declining to do any elective, non-lifesaving procedure, for whatever reason, despite referring the patient to someone who will do what the patient wishes, Americans are all in deep trouble.

Judith B. Zacher MD

Palm Desert