Democrats Block Nomination Over Morning-After Pill posted by Ben

Democrats Block Nomination Over Morning-After Pill

Plan B, manufactured by Barr Laboratories, was approved for use by prescription in June 1999. Consisting of two pills, it is intended to be taken in the 72 hours after unprotected sex, either when regular contraception fails or is skipped. But advocates for women's health say selling it by prescription hampers its usefulness, because it is difficult for women to see their doctors quickly enough to get a prescription.

Opponents of the pill, including religious conservatives, have said it will encourage sexual promiscuity. But in December 2003, two committees of expert advisers to the food and drug agency, meeting jointly, voted 23 to 4 to recommend over-the-counter sales. The agency typically follows the advice of its expert advisers, but the decision has been delayed on several occasions.

Part of what makes this issue vitally important is that it also holds great symbolic value for the so-called right-to-life constituency, whose continued attacks on the provision of birth control to women, and thus the removal of a woman's choice to regulate her own body, have caused considerable delays and scientifically bankrupt rulings from the current head of the FDA. To be blunt, our drug regulation policy is being determined and enacted by fringe religious extremists, like second cousins to the pharmacists who refuse the fill birth control prescriptions for what they call moral reasons. In other words, it's part of the larger picture of extremists who are trying to roll back women's rights purely on the basis of faith.

It doesn't help that these people are comfortable ignoring empirical evidence. I am reminded of the recent study that discovered that teenagers who went through abstinence-only sexual education programs were far more likely to engage in oral or anal sex. Couple that with a lack of awareness of how STDs are spread and you're looking at a massive failure of those initiatives. Or if you prefer, note that abortion rates have risen dramatically in the past four years, due in no small part to reduced economic opportunities. Or look at the social programs for young, single mothers that are facing slashed budgets. Or the continued disintegration of our health care system.

Unfortunately, the extremists blindly pushing a faith-based agenda have abrogated their connection to facts, to science, and even to the welfare of the women whose interests they claim to be protecting.

But every so often, one sees at least a small glimmer of hope. For instance, today two senators stood up to the theologically corrupt FDA nominee.

President Bush's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration is being blocked from Senate confirmation by two Democrats who said Wednesday that they would hold up a vote until the agency settled the long-delayed question of whether an emergency contraceptive could be sold over the counter.

The Democrats, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Patty Murray of Washington, met with the nominee, Dr. Lester M. Crawford, on Wednesday to discuss what they regard as foot-dragging on the issue of the so-called morning-after pill. An expert panel of scientists recommended over-the-counter sales in December 2003, but the agency has yet to issue a final ruling.

Now if only the mainstream media would sink their talons into this issue...




On second thought, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea.