Lawmakers encroach on birth-control rights

Sunday, April 10, 2005

If women in Maine think that nothing can come between them and the birth control prescribed by their doctor, they should think again. Something already has. Across the country, legislators are attempting to block women's access to contraception.

Did you know that in as many as 20 states, pharmacists are able to refuse to fill women's prescriptions for contraception, including the morning-after pill, based solely on personal beliefs? Some politicians actually want to empower them and expand these restrictions.

When a woman and her doctor decide that a prescription for contraception is in the woman's best interest, a third party has no right to override that decision. Pharmacies must ensure that patients get their doctor-prescribed medication without delay or inconvenience.

We know birth control prevents unintended pregnancies and reduces the need for abortion. So why are politicians making it harder for women to get pills instead of making them more accessible? Think about it.

The public should be outraged at this intrusion into our private medical needs, and demand that our Legislature ensure that pharmacies fill prescriptions for women's birth control.

Lynn Julian

Augusta

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