The State of Wisconsin has fined 22 of its hospitals for not following a law that requires them to provide emergency contraception for rape victims.
As reported in the Wisconsin State Journal, the law, passed in 2008, stipulates that emergency rooms give information about "morning-after" pills to sexual assault victims. If the victims request the drug, the hospital is required to comply.
[Also: Catholic hospitals gain prevalence as watchdogs worry about women's health]
The state's Department of Health Services said that SSM St. Mary's Hospital in Madison failed to inform three sexual assault patients of the drug from June to December 2014. In April 2015, that resulted in a $7,500 fine.
Multiple sources report that St. Mary's cited it religious affiliation as a reason for eschewing the law, along with its policy of transferring sexual assault patients to UnityPoint Health-Meriter. St. Mary's revised its policy following the fine and later denied that its Catholic ties were the motivator behind its disobeying of state law.
Twitter: @JELagasse