Congress denies emergency contraception to women in the military

[Bruden]

The American Civil Liberties Union today decried Congress’s failure to support legislation that would have made emergency contraception available at all military health care facilities. In 2002, the Department of Defense removed the safe and effective contraceptive from its Basic Core Formulary, making it much less likely that the drug will be stocked on military bases.

“At a time when we are expecting so much from our women servicemembers, we must do everything we can to meet their basic health care needs,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Making sure that military women can get emergency contraception will go a long way to meeting the important public health goal of reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion.”

In 2002, the Department of Defense recognized the importance of making emergency contraception available to military women when it made the drug available by prescription at military health facilities. However, according to a recent press report, department officials removed, without explanation, the contraceptive from its Basic Core Formulary after only one month.

Yesterday, the ACLU, joined a broad coalition of women in the military, medical professionals, and advocates for women’s health and rights, and sent a joint letter urging members of Congress to support an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5122) sponsored by Representatives Michael Michaud (D-ME) and Tim Ryan (D-OH). The Michaud-Ryan Amendment would have ensured that emergency contraception was again available by prescription at all military health facilities. Yesterday, the amendment was blocked in a House committee.


http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/contraception/25528prs20060511.html

[Mend]

1. tell them to take 7 birth control pills (from the first three rows on

the pack) all at once. It is emergency contraception. They should all quit the military, the military doesn't deserve to have women if they won't take care of them.

[benddem]

2. these f ing bastards

we have got to have a revolution!!!!:mad: