The Ohio GOP has been hell-bent on looking after the “health and welfare” of the state’s women by cutting off their access to providers, abortion services, even basic health care.

For their safety, of course.

Both the proposed Heartbeat Ban and decision to defund Planned Parenthood has stalled for this session, but just because the 2012 legislature won’t vote on them doesn’t mean they won’t be back in 2013.

Democratic State Senator Nina Turner has her own concerns. With all of this focus on women’s health (for their own good, of course), what about the men of Ohio? After all, they have health issues to care for, too. Are they really prepared or informed enough to do what is in their own best interests? Are they being taken advantage of by their health care providers. Really… really can we just “trust” men with their own health care decisions, without governmental oversight?

Nope.

“The men in our lives, including members of the General Assembly, generously devote time to fundamental female reproductive issues—the least we can do is return the favor,” Senator Turner said via press release. “It is crucial that we take the appropriate steps to shelter vulnerable men from the potential side effects of these drugs.”

Sen. Turner is proposing a new bill to provide informed consent for men seeking dangerous drugs to treat their erectile dysfunction. Prior to obtaining the drugs, men would need to undergo a psychological evaluation from a professional not associated with the prescribing doctor to ensure the condition isn’t caused by emotional conditions, as well as address any potential family concerns. Turner says that her recommendations follow those provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for those who are experiencing erectile dysfunction and are considering using drugs that could have concerning side effects such as priapism, hearing loss, vision loss, and heart complications.

“When a man makes a crucial decision about his health and his body, he should be fully aware of the alternative options and the lifetime repercussions of that decision,” said Sen. Turner in her statement. “Men need this guidance so they can better understand and more effectively address their condition. We must advocate for the traditional family, protect the sanctity of procreation, and ensure that all men using PDE-5 inhibitors are healthy, stable, and educated about their options—including celibacy as a viable life choice. This legislation will do just that.”

Sen. Turner’s legislation is a good start, but unfortunately, she hasn’t addressed how we can be sure that the consent law is properly implemented. For that, I would like to suggest that the state compile a database that physicians prescribing the drugs fill out which state the doctor’s name, the age, race, economic background and family status of the patient, as well as how many children he might have and his reason for requesting the drug. Of course, I’m sure his privacy will remain completely intact, and he should have no concerns about being identified unless perhaps he comes from a very small town.

Or is perhaps a politician.