trumptman
06-04-2006, 01:44 PM
Plan B - Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201405_pf.html)
The conservative politics of the Bush administration forced me to have an abortion I didn't want. Well, not literally, but let me explain.
I am a 42-year-old happily married mother of two elementary-schoolers. My husband and I both work, and like many couples, we're starved for time together. One Thursday evening this past March, we managed to snag some rare couple time and, in a sudden rush of passion, I failed to insert my diaphragm.
Interesting article for a couple reasons, though the most important one for me is how far this woman will go to absolve herself from her own actions.
As we're both in our forties, my husband and I had considered our family complete, and we weren't planning to have another child, which is why, as a rule, we use contraception.
If you are in your forties, you should be smart enough to know that the only 100% (actually only about 99.85%) method of contraception is sterilization. You said you knew your family was complete so why tempt fate?
The receptionist, however, informed me that my doctor did not prescribe Plan B. No reason given. Neither did my internist. The midwifery practice I had used could prescribe it, but not over the phone, and there were no more open appointments for the day. The weekend -- and the end of the 72-hour window -- was approaching.
But I needed to meet my kids' school bus and, as I was pretty much out of options -- short of soliciting random Virginia doctors out of the phone book -- I figured I'd take my chances and hope for the best. After all, I'm 42. Isn't it likely my eggs are overripe, anyway? I thought so, especially since my best friend from college has been experiencing agonizing infertility problems at this age.
Here's a hint. If they give you 72-hours, three days and you need it, you'd best start dialing. No one else can pick up the kids and of course the weekend can't be used for things like this. Heaven forbid someone doesn't show up at your door with the pills on a silver platter.
I felt sick. Although I've always been in favor of abortion rights, this was a choice I had hoped never to have to make myself. When I realized the seriousness of my predicament, I became angry. I knew that Plan B, which could have prevented it, was supposed to have been available over the counter by now. But I also remembered hearing that conservative politics have held up its approval.
Damn you George Bush! I didn't want to push for an appointment or start dialing people in the phonebook. No one else on the planet could pick up the kids. Your evil policies are responsible for the fact that a pair of 42 year old kids can't use the pill, a diaphram or a condom.
My anger propelled me to get to the bottom of the story. It turns out that in December 2003, an FDA advisory committee, whose suggestions the agency usually follows, recommended that the drug be made available over the counter, or without a prescription. Nonetheless, in May 2004, the FDA top brass overruled the advisory panel and gave the thumbs-down to over-the-counter sales of Plan B, requesting more data on how girls younger than 16 could use it safely without a doctor's supervision.
Apparently, one of the concerns is that ready availability of Plan B could lead teenage girls to have premarital sex. Yet this concern -- valid or not -- wound up penalizing an over-the-hill married woman for having sex with her husband. Talk about the law of unintended consequences.
I'm a 42 year old woman. How dare I have to consider others! I'm being penalized because I never previously checked on the availablity via my physicians even though I am sexually active, married and consider my family complete. I couldn't make an appointment and I wanted to tempt fate.
After passing through the metal detector inside the building, I entered the Planned Parenthood waiting room; it was like the waiting room for a budget airline -- crammed full of people, of all races, and getting busier by the moment. I was by far the oldest person there (other than one girl's mom). The wait seemed endless. No one looked happy. We were told that the lone doctor was stuck in Cherry Blossom Parade traffic.
He finally arrived, an hour and a half late.
The procedure itself took about five minutes. I finally walked out of the building at 4:30, 6 1/2 hours after I had arrived.
It was a decision I am sorry I had to make. It was awful, painful, sickening. But I feel that this administration gave me practically no choice but to have an unwanted abortion because the way it has politicized religion made it well-nigh impossible for me to get emergency contraception that would have prevented the pregnancy in the first place.
Does anyone else think this woman is crazy?
As a 36 year old man who has decided his family is done, I did the right thing and so have many of my friends. We went and got snipped. There are known health risks for that procedure as well but I didn't want anymore children and I took appropriate steps.
As for the differences between getting RU486, an abortion and getting a vasectomy, I would have welcomed ANY of the ridiculously low number of requirements for either an abortion or RU486. In California, a very liberal state, we have a THIRTY DAY waiting period for vasectomies. In addition getting an appointment necessitated a 4-5 month wait. Anything that happens inbetween that call and the actual procedure wouldn't inconvenience me for 6 hours, more like 18+ years.
Is there no middle ground in the reproductive rights world? Is expecting a woman to do anything regarding her own actions akin to pure evil. RU486 is legal and available however it does require you consult with a physician. Is that truly so terrible? The woman still went and had a legally available abortion, but seemed so put off that her own actions inconvenienced her. Is there really a right not to have to devote time and energy to your own screw-ups? Complaining about the total lack of right is one thing. Declaring "Bush da eval!! I had to take a whole six hours out of my day to deal with this" is another.
Nick
The conservative politics of the Bush administration forced me to have an abortion I didn't want. Well, not literally, but let me explain.
I am a 42-year-old happily married mother of two elementary-schoolers. My husband and I both work, and like many couples, we're starved for time together. One Thursday evening this past March, we managed to snag some rare couple time and, in a sudden rush of passion, I failed to insert my diaphragm.
Interesting article for a couple reasons, though the most important one for me is how far this woman will go to absolve herself from her own actions.
As we're both in our forties, my husband and I had considered our family complete, and we weren't planning to have another child, which is why, as a rule, we use contraception.
If you are in your forties, you should be smart enough to know that the only 100% (actually only about 99.85%) method of contraception is sterilization. You said you knew your family was complete so why tempt fate?
The receptionist, however, informed me that my doctor did not prescribe Plan B. No reason given. Neither did my internist. The midwifery practice I had used could prescribe it, but not over the phone, and there were no more open appointments for the day. The weekend -- and the end of the 72-hour window -- was approaching.
But I needed to meet my kids' school bus and, as I was pretty much out of options -- short of soliciting random Virginia doctors out of the phone book -- I figured I'd take my chances and hope for the best. After all, I'm 42. Isn't it likely my eggs are overripe, anyway? I thought so, especially since my best friend from college has been experiencing agonizing infertility problems at this age.
Here's a hint. If they give you 72-hours, three days and you need it, you'd best start dialing. No one else can pick up the kids and of course the weekend can't be used for things like this. Heaven forbid someone doesn't show up at your door with the pills on a silver platter.
I felt sick. Although I've always been in favor of abortion rights, this was a choice I had hoped never to have to make myself. When I realized the seriousness of my predicament, I became angry. I knew that Plan B, which could have prevented it, was supposed to have been available over the counter by now. But I also remembered hearing that conservative politics have held up its approval.
Damn you George Bush! I didn't want to push for an appointment or start dialing people in the phonebook. No one else on the planet could pick up the kids. Your evil policies are responsible for the fact that a pair of 42 year old kids can't use the pill, a diaphram or a condom.
My anger propelled me to get to the bottom of the story. It turns out that in December 2003, an FDA advisory committee, whose suggestions the agency usually follows, recommended that the drug be made available over the counter, or without a prescription. Nonetheless, in May 2004, the FDA top brass overruled the advisory panel and gave the thumbs-down to over-the-counter sales of Plan B, requesting more data on how girls younger than 16 could use it safely without a doctor's supervision.
Apparently, one of the concerns is that ready availability of Plan B could lead teenage girls to have premarital sex. Yet this concern -- valid or not -- wound up penalizing an over-the-hill married woman for having sex with her husband. Talk about the law of unintended consequences.
I'm a 42 year old woman. How dare I have to consider others! I'm being penalized because I never previously checked on the availablity via my physicians even though I am sexually active, married and consider my family complete. I couldn't make an appointment and I wanted to tempt fate.
After passing through the metal detector inside the building, I entered the Planned Parenthood waiting room; it was like the waiting room for a budget airline -- crammed full of people, of all races, and getting busier by the moment. I was by far the oldest person there (other than one girl's mom). The wait seemed endless. No one looked happy. We were told that the lone doctor was stuck in Cherry Blossom Parade traffic.
He finally arrived, an hour and a half late.
The procedure itself took about five minutes. I finally walked out of the building at 4:30, 6 1/2 hours after I had arrived.
It was a decision I am sorry I had to make. It was awful, painful, sickening. But I feel that this administration gave me practically no choice but to have an unwanted abortion because the way it has politicized religion made it well-nigh impossible for me to get emergency contraception that would have prevented the pregnancy in the first place.
Does anyone else think this woman is crazy?
As a 36 year old man who has decided his family is done, I did the right thing and so have many of my friends. We went and got snipped. There are known health risks for that procedure as well but I didn't want anymore children and I took appropriate steps.
As for the differences between getting RU486, an abortion and getting a vasectomy, I would have welcomed ANY of the ridiculously low number of requirements for either an abortion or RU486. In California, a very liberal state, we have a THIRTY DAY waiting period for vasectomies. In addition getting an appointment necessitated a 4-5 month wait. Anything that happens inbetween that call and the actual procedure wouldn't inconvenience me for 6 hours, more like 18+ years.
Is there no middle ground in the reproductive rights world? Is expecting a woman to do anything regarding her own actions akin to pure evil. RU486 is legal and available however it does require you consult with a physician. Is that truly so terrible? The woman still went and had a legally available abortion, but seemed so put off that her own actions inconvenienced her. Is there really a right not to have to devote time and energy to your own screw-ups? Complaining about the total lack of right is one thing. Declaring "Bush da eval!! I had to take a whole six hours out of my day to deal with this" is another.
Nick