A critique of reproductive politics written in the 1970s about events in the ‘20s and ‘30s is remarkably relevant to today’s leading reproductive controversy: the Obama Administration’s overruling of the FDA decision to allow over-the-counter status of Plan B emergency contraception for young women under the age of seventeen.
Kathleen Sebelius clearly upheld restrictions on emergency contraception as a naked political move, but it wasn't even smart politics. Young women, a big voting bloc for Democrats, are insulted and will likely be demoralized by this decision.
A new project from GLSEN asks young people and adults to pledge to put an end to bullying. Over 96,000 people have taken the pledge, but we have to do so much more.
Kathleen Sebelius caves to anti-choicers on emergency contraception, and the USCCB looks to further restrict women's access to contraception. Jean Baker describes the long and wild career of Margaret Sanger.
In 1989, the historic bifurcation between abortion providers and political activists had finally begun to dissolve, and a powerful new alliance was beginning to form. Providers were now at the forefront of the abortion rights struggle, and patients themselves, in the midst of the most personal and intimate of decisions and life events, were thrust into a vortex of politics and passion. This is one story from that time.
Experts, who we count on for guidance and sound evidence-based medicine, have repeatedly shown Plan B to be not only extremely effective, but incredibly safe. Although the experts in the FDA agreed with the well-researched and well-presented data on Plan B, Secretary Sebelius and President Obama chose to ignore their expertise and base their decision on politics, not science.
Disappointed, angry, dismayed -- these are only some of the emotions I am feeling this afternoon after hearing President Obama's poor excuse for restricting access to Plan B One Step. I am also scared. How does Obama's hollow rationale and rejection of science make him any different than Michele Bachmann?
"Dr." Kathleen Sebelius prescribed us a bitter pill when she ignored overwhelming evidence on the safety and effectiveness of emergency contraception to prohibit its sale over-the-counter. Is this change we can believe in? It’s certainly not a “common sense” solution. President Obama and Secretary Sebelius should listen to real doctors and the FDA Commissioner, and make this decision based on science, not politics.
