Friday, August 26, 2005

Age issue delays FDA ruling on 'morning-after' pill

Regulating sales to teen girls is at heart of the debate

What the hell is wrong with the FDA?
To quote the above article:

'Federal regulators balked Friday at deciding whether to make the "morning after" birth control pill available without a prescription, saying that, although it is safe, proposed restrictions on teenage girls' access to the drug have raised unresolved legal issues.'

What it really has to do with is the government pandering to the religious right who want it both ways.
There is no question that the morning after pill has the very real possibility of lowering the number of abortions because of the fact that it STOPS a pregnancy of happening.
That is the science, no matter what a religious crazy tries to tell you, by the way, and most of them know that. You cannot compare this to an abortion drug. End of story.

What this is about is continuing to stifle choice for people and impose their morality on others.
No, this is not the same as gays trying to be accepted because that does not affect other people's lives, no matter what you try and tell me. No gay marriage has any affect on MY marriage.
This is about the very vocal religious right trying to REDUCE the choices that are available to other Americans.

If, for some reason they want to make sure that woman under 18 or whatever do not have access to this (which I disagree with) then make the pharmacist card the buyer.
But they should no more be carded than someone who wants to buy a condom.

Thankfully, those that live in the great state of California (and 6 other states) Plan B can be purchased by asking a pharmacist without a prescription.
There are, however other places in the country that are much more backwards places and pharmacists that are not so forward thinking.
There have been multiple reports of people being DENIED access to this drug by some religious pharmacist that thinks it's wrong.
And this is not their decision to make. If you are a pharmacist and you are not prepared to give out a legal drug to someone that has obtained a proper prescription, then you should choose another line of work.
What's next, the pharmacist down the street that does not believe in pain pills withholds them from grandma who needs them for her arthritis??

The backwards thinking that goes on in this country sometimes really frightens me.


7 comments:

Sar said...

Mike - excellent post. Where is our freedom of choice going? Down the toilet as far as the religious zealots are concerned. They want to regulate our televisions, our schools, our courts, and our bodies (just to name a few). Why can't the folks on the right see that this is just as damaging to them too?

Swami-o said...

You're right to be frightened. It's almost like we haven't left the dark ages, huh?

nickg said...

Hi. I've never read your blog before. I read through some of your other posts and I don't disagree with everything you say. I must say, however, that you are simply mistaken regarding the morning after pill. It can and does cause an abortion. Conception happens quite soon after sex. If the fertilized egg is not allowed to connect to the uterine wall, which is what the pill does, then--by definition--an abortion occurs because the fertilized egg is not allowed to mature into a human fetus, baby, child, teenager, etc. Now, this happens quite often naturally too. But, the pill artificially ensures this situation.

I understand the arguments offered by the pro-abortion lobby. And, I sympathise with many of them and understand why so many people are so committed to this cause. And, I wish more pro-life people were able to show some understanding and respect toward their opponents in this difficult issue. I also wish, however, that more of those who favor the abortion choice could sympathise with and respect those of us who feel that abortion is wrong. I don't know that many people who are against abortion for purely "religious" reasons. Rather, a great many people who have a faith committment agree with many who do not have such a committment that there is simply no other time at which one can say that a new human life begins than at conception. If that is the truth (it is), then can you not understand why we who oppose abortion do so vigorously? We view it as the premature ending of a defenseless human life, i.e., murder. Of course, peoples' views on murder are moral considerations which are often informed by their faith committments. But, so be it.

In conclusion, if I've been pedantic or patronizing in my comment, I apologize. Seriously.

nickg said...

p.s.

It sucks that you get those spam comments. I haven't had 'em yet.

Mike V. said...

I guess where there are people, there will be spam.
Just like headlice, I'm afraid.

As for your post, the drug must be taken within 72 hours of sex (preferably before that) and will stop the egg from being fertilized.

I have not read anything that would point to it working otherwise according to the science of it.
I think you are confusing Plan B with the other pill some have called the "Abortion" pill.

Bottom line: This is a choice that should be allowed and in the end could reduce overall the abortion rate in this country.
That in itself should be a win for everyone.

Anonymous said...

So these "limited government" "let the buyer beware" conservatives are suddenly concerned that a teenage girl might have access to emergency contraception?! How ironic. I wish they'd make up their minds what they want.

Mike V. said...

exactly, Tom.

what they want is the ability of the largest corporations and the richest in this country to operate with impunity, while the rest of us suffer at the whim of them and the religious freaks they use as a tool to get their agenda across.