On abortion and birth control pills

photo © Darren Hester for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-NonCommercial

Found on Salon.com

The Bush administration wants to require all recipients of aid under federal health programs to certify that they will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control." It is worth restating: The administration wants to ensure that recipients of federal health funding -- including women's clinics -- cannot deny employment based on a refusal to perform abortions or distribute birth control.

The proposal could potentially redefine birth control as abortion. The proposal classifies abortion as "any of the various procedures -- including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action -- that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation." That last part is critical because some argue that hormonal birth control and emergency contraception can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.

Now I am firmly against abortion. I believe that if you are stupid enough not to use a condom, and you have yet to figure out that mutual masturbation, dildos and vibes will gain you the same net effect, without any disease or pregnancy risk at all you shouldn't take your stupid out on the kid. Step up to the plate, suffer the nine months, and then put the kid up for adoption. And don't give me that "My hear will break after carrying it nine months and then giving it away." Like killing it is so much easier. At least it will be alive somewhere and I can tell you now it will be with a family that loves it.

No, I think this is a stupid idea coming out of the Bush administration simply because it violates the right of privacy of every woman who ever had to take female hormones for any reason. Picture it, you're standing in line at Wal-Mart, and you have to explain to the Fundamentalist pharmacist, who took that job knowing he would have to do something against his religion and just wanted to make a political point, a strange man, that you're taking hormones to keep from having a miscarriage. Or to treat cancer. Or to regulate your period. Or to ease the symptoms of menopause. And knowing the type, you might have to explain to him that you're married, and faithful to your husband.

Yes, you always wanted to discuss your sex life with a stranger in front of everyone in Wal-Mart, now, didn't you?

I didn't think so.

And what if he says no? What if there's no place else to get that prescription? I'm planning to take progesterone to try to prevent a miscarriage when we try for children again. If he refuses, he'd be killing my unborn child. Does that mean I can accuse him of murder? Would that give me my baby back?

Someone needs to remind these people that doctors are the ones who should be helping women make these decisions, on a case by case business. Not politicians.