Cross posted at DailyKos and MyLeftWing
The FDA made an announcement today that emergency contraception will not be made available without a prescription. In it’s relentless obsession with all things to do with women’s reproductive health they said it isn’t safe for girl’s under 17 to buy the EC because they’re afraid they won’t understand the directions.
Well lordy, lordy who doesn’t support that, afterall the directions are so complicated. Take one of the two little white pills after you’ve had unprotected sex (within 5 days) and take the second little white pill within 12 hours of taking the first little white pill. Now really, they’re saying someone who can’t understand and follow these instructions should give birth because they’re, what, so grown up and ready to have a baby?
The rest of the story, after the fold
Ironically, this is Women’s Equality Day. The rightwing has given us another present on a day that celebrates our equality. They, once again, refuse to do the very thing that this day celebrates, equality.
Perhaps one of the sticking points for the newly confirmed FDA Commissioner was that there just wasn’t enough information, the EC just hadn’t been studied enough … let’s just take a gander to see if that is so …
despite years of study, despite strong support from the FDA’s professional staff, despite extensive public hearings and commentary, and despite the near-unanimous recommendations of not one but two FDA advisory panels, this newly appointed Commissioner has again delayed women’s access to emergency contraception (EC) — and with the lame excuse that they need more time for “public comment.”
Apparently every rightwing organization and conservative evangelical church hasn’t had the opportunity to weigh in yet.
Once again, the FDA does nothing but love, love, love us women and goes out of its way to protect us, bless their little pee pickin’ hearts.
Finally, the FDA says it is not making EC available without prescription to women 17 and over because they can’t figure out how to prevent access to those under 17. C’mon — as if they haven’t seen drugstores deal with alcohol, cigarettes, and the nicotine patch for years.
Here’s the link in case you haven’t had enough.
http://www.now.org/press/08-05/08-26b.html
In closing, for those of you who think that, perhaps, women are just menstruating or whining or a little over the top worried about our rights, it just ain’t so, boys, it just ain’t so.
