Rape victim: 'Morning after' pill denied

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/99156.php

By Carla McClain
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Although it is safe, effective and legal, emergency contraception - the "morning after" pill - can be hard to find in Tucson.

After a sexual assault one recent weekend, a young Tucson woman spent three frantic days trying to obtain the drug to prevent a pregnancy, knowing that each passing day lowered the chance the drug would work.

While calling dozens of Tucson pharmacies trying to fill a prescription for emergency contraception, she found that most did not stock the drug.

When she finally did find a pharmacy with it, she said she was told the pharmacist on duty would not dispense it because of religious and moral objections.

The fundies are taking over, all the while whining about "persecution". :grr:

It's nobody's fucking business what a woman does with regards to her own medical decisions - and to deny a victim of sexual violence her inherent right to take charge of her decisions after the trauma of being helpless while violated is an atrocity!

If she has the baby, can she sue the pharmacist and the company for which the pharmacist works for prenatal and delivery expenses, and for child support until her son or daughter reaches the age of 18?

A person who makes life-changing decisions for people should be responsible for the bills incurred because of those decisions.

They should put their money where their mouth is, the hypocrites.

The hypocrites. If they believe in hell, I hope there's a special section close to the furnace for them.

I can't stand it! They only care about the fetus. Once you're out of your mothers womb fuck it. You're on your own. I get so tired of this crap! Now this just puts me over the edge.

But it is against God's law. I truly find my strength in that. I know from experience that many change their beliefs as life deals them its inevitable blows. I guess what I am saying is, the hypocrites of today could be soldiers-in-arms tomorrow.

wallets....and that is REALLY all they care about.....

We, on the grassroots level, need to organize against these Christian Fascists...

I don't care what they call themselves, they are not like Christ.

Yes, they should be sued. Generally compromise is a better solution, but such people are hopeless. Condemning a rape victim to possibly bear a child does not fall under "God's will." That is man's will.

Christian Taliban be better? I know they are not Christians...they just call themselves that.

That's why we need to have a word that REALLY describes them...I thought Fascist was pretty good.

They can call themselves anything they want. I suppose it makes a difference if you're talking to one of them in person, then you can ask them what defines a Christian and hopefully point out why their actions do not reflect what Jesus taught.

I'm fortunate in that the people I know who claim to be Christians, they actually walk the walk. One of them, unfortunately, voted for bush and thought he was just fine, but yesterday -- hoohaw! -- I got an earful about bush. He said he was angry because bush is spending like a drunken sailor. I said that was appropriate, considering bush's youth as a drunk. Then he mentioned the old Clinton line about "didn't exhale." I said I prefer someone who smoked pot to a cokehead. And off to the races we went! :)

He and I always spar about bush and kerry, but lately I can tell his arguments are weakening.

those who are poor care for them. IF they really wanted women to have kids they wouldn't be trying to get rid of welfare and other programs that help poor parents!

and replaced with someone who's WILLING TO DO HIS FUCKING JOB.

mostly men run the country, mostly men sit at the top of the corporate ladder, mostly men run the religions here, and MEN are the crucial piece of the equation when a woman gets pregnant. And when she's raped, a man was the entire equation. Ironic... isn't it? They get you pregnant, and they control the world.

Then he would have to go thru paternity testing to prove he wasn't the father.

Taking out and fighting with each other is just what the fundies want. We have to organize now.

of what pharmacies are woman-friendly. That way the next time a woman is in this horrible situation there is a resource available to her.

So how do we get something like this started and the info sent to crisis centers?

has a sign you can bring to ask pharmacies to hang in the window:

http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/takeaction/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&pageid=17300

Easy if you have access to another source, or the internet, or PP clinic,etc. To expand, sorry for yelling also but, well, it is one of my hot button issues.

For years family planning clinics (of whichever brand name clinic "FP" "PP", private womens' clinics, etc) have been giving this out. It is a certain combination of a certain type(s) of birth control pills, yes, regular birth control pills. There are combinations which work better than others, and don't just take random large amounts as this can be VERY BAD for you. Look online for and idea of which types in which amounts might work. There is the "officially prescribed" type and dose, and then others that I cannot tell you to take but other people may have with good results. Prepare and spread the word. And yes, some people get nauseated from taking this large amount of hormones but most, in my experience of giving them out and taking them myself don't.

It has been a secret remedy for at least the last 20 yrs I know of, have known of it, used it, told people about it for at least that long. Do some research and tell other people about this. If you need to, call Planned Parenthood, Family Planning, Womens Clinics, etc for another type or her.

I hate this sort of crap, that pharmacists won't dispense it and that the most common (probably the only "officially ok'd" type isn't readily available. I mean this really pisses me off royally. Really. I get mad at many things this administration does, but women's right to not-reproduce is a most very most basic right that we all have and need to continue to have.

argh

How strange...I just had this exact conversation with a friend of mine explaining that even if Roe vs Wade was ever overturned many people "know" of ways to abort without resorting to using a coathanger.

I worked as a pharmacy tech all through college and know of a few ways to handle a situation like this. One of the older pharmacists I worked with made it a point to teach all of the female techs which combination of drugs would work effectively if the need arose.

I never thought that we might find ourselves actually having to use and share this knowledge.

As far as Target, I will NEVER shop there again and while I have made my phone calls and sent out emails I am quite sure that they really don't care.

Cheers!

but it might be fun to go in and disrupt their sales! Like Reverend Billy does...I love him.

She's the mother of two kids and has serious health problems, but she and her husband "slipped." I found a site that lists all the places in every state where the correct treatment can be obtained.

One was a provider near her.

No need to run around for 3 days...

One organization for info, in addition to the usual Planned Parenthood, etc.is

www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org at 1-800-not-2-late

A google search turns up other similiar sites, inc the one I used for my friend.

http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html
"Twenty-one brands of oral contraceptives that can be used for emergency contraception in the United States"

Not everybody has a car to get to the library or public transportation. Not everybody has the internet in their home. I had some friends who didn't have the internet. The pharmacisies shouldn't be doing this anyways. It's their job to subscribe these pills. Not to be priests. :mad: This woman shouldn't have had to go running around her area finding the pill. She was freakin raped!

how will they get to the drugstore or family-planning clinic anyway?

just wondering.

not having access to the internet is no longer a valid excuse. pretty much everyone has at least one friend with access, if the library or a cafe is not an option.

I do the same thing. Don't want to keep that anger inside....it's best to let it out.

I am so sick and tired of our country going backward...we truly need to organize against the Christian Fascists...they're the ones I worry about...they're noisy, but not that big in numbers. Rove got them all excited and empowered....we need to pop their balloon!

The fact that a multi-pill dose of regular birth control pills that someone at your school or job can probably spot you (give them $30 so they can go to the pharmacy and say they lost this month's pack, and they can obtain another one). No need to let religious zealots influence. This information needs to get out.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/medicalinfo/ec/pub-emergency-contraception.xml

I never argued with my crazy Ultra-conservative Catholic aunt about the right or wrong of abortion. I just told her that her goal wasn't feasible - that all she could hope was to 1) drive surgical abortion underground and 2) make pharmaceutical abortion the norm. I asked her if she honestly thought there was any way to control people from use legal pharmaceuticals to induce abortion, and she was stumped.

(yes, I know that the EC link above works only very early on, etc. etc. I want to keep safe, clean, sterile, abortions legal, and I think one way is to let the crazies know that their goal of controlling women can't succeed.)

This is why fundies shouldnt be able to work in pharmacies! :grr: :nuke:

See http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/nobandwidth/English/new/inthenews/022803BostonGlobe.htm .

Planned Parenthood is lobbying for laws to force all hospital pharmacies to carry the morning-after pill. Any woman who's raped and goes to an emergency room ought to be able to leave with pills in hand. But even in Massachusetts, the odds of that are only 50 percent.

that victims who report rapes are taken to hospitals whose personnel do offer emergency contraception.

just asking. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5138371

that the "right to privacy between a woman and her doctor" is nothing else than a judicial construction to avoid the real human, medical and social issues.

Laws are passed on local, state and federal levels; but they are only valid because they pass judicial review (if challenged).

"Judicial construction" is a boutique term made-up to fit your semantic argument. I reject your construct(ion).

it's a pretty fucking important issue.

and ask them several questions.
1. Do you (regardless of the pharmacist on duty) give out the Plan-B?
2. If not, why?
3. What other medically necessary drugs do you not dispense (not prescribe - only a M.D. can prescribe)?
4. If they answer none, then a follow up... what about Viagra (etc.)? Do they check to see if the man is married? If not, why?
5. What about condoms? Does the company allow the sale of condoms? If so, why? Do they only allow condoms to a certain group of people?
6. Do they allow the use of Coca-Cola? CC is a known anti-spermicide, as well a being a very good drain cleaner.
7. Birth Control... do they (the non-dispensing pharmacist) dispense birth control? If not, why not? Do they check to see if the woman is a. married b. not married but needs B.C. for menstrual problems. If not, why not?

So you see, there are many many ways to fight this appalling misogynist crap!

has stopped them from filling any perscription. they should be allowed privacy in their religious beliefs, unfortunately today, their fellow pharmacist have opened it up, requiring me to ask pharmacists if religion prevents them from filling perscriptions

has been interesting exchanges

and he's won awards and things like that for his work. He's very well respected and does a great job. I wonder how he feels about this. I haven't been able to ask. I doubt if he did this he wouldn't have won his awards.

especially if it is a form of baptist. it is whether they are going ot hell or not. that is pretty much drawing the line there. not many will refuse especially if he continues to go to church. this is why i harp on this one. i am seeing the orginization of. not going ot be here and there and spotted. they are in position. baptist and catholics and educating pharmacist, doctors and lawyers to take fuckin over. they have orginizations, they make statements. tis is not hidden

one person sway group in the name of the lord. this is not little. small business. they go to community with soul/sole intent of take over. i live in panhandle of texas i see the orginization of it. i am watching them do it thru church. it is connecting up to focus on the family dobson colorado springs, not to far from here. i drove up there a couple weeks ago, and made sure i took a look at focus of the family. fuckin amazing. needed camara to take pictures. huge of course and looks like a ridiculous circus of freaks.

mean that in love lol lol of course. you can say whatever about a person as long as you say bless her heart, at the end.

You should also ask this to the fundies in favor of this. And yes, women also take BC for menstrual problems. They could be seriously messing up a woman's cycle for all they know. :mad:

and not giving a woman with endometriosis her BC pills can kill her (pregnancy can be very dangerous to a woman with that condition), and will certainly cause her agonizing pain.

There is a reason pharmacists don't make the decision whether or not to prescribe drugs; that is because they are not physicians. Their job is to dispense medications, not to determine need for them. Certainly they are not licensed to NOT dispense medications. If you do not wish to perform certain functions of your employment, you should be working in another field.

We must keep the pressure on these pharmacists' employers to ensure that no pharmacy ever is allowed to leave a woman without legal options owing to personal prejudice and ignorance.

If I remember the good christian torture king ran as someone who believe that a woman had a right to an abortion if she were raped.

You mean the God-fearing man is for that?! Say it ain't so! :sarcasm:

WHEN ON THE WHOLE IT IS DIRTY CREEPY MEN. MEN WHO 1) RAPE 2) "RING & RUN" OR 3) DEMONSTRATE SCARY MASOGINISTIC TENDENCIES AND DANGEROUSNESS TO ANY CHILD - WHO GET ABORTED OR THE MORNING AFTER PILL. For sure there are some women who were just not prepared. But take comfort when you give her that pill that she will barf her face off for days... and learn to take her pregnancy prevention pills & items... to prevent the need in the future..if it was her choice in fact.

Do you dole out the PILL? This is 2005 - Why the fuck should I have to ask.

FUCK YOU!

http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/takeaction/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&pageid=17300

And if they won't put up signs with pro-choice logos all over it, then make a small sign yourself to hand out, with the first 2 sentences on it.

But do ask if they will sign with you and send in the form.

They need to go to medical school and become doctors. Then they get to make these kinds of decisions.

It's the only explanation that I can find.

That and the preacher on Sunday telling them what to believe.

:grr:

and other similar organizations can refer women to places to get the meds.

They urge women to get keep a supply on hand!

If they don't want to perscribe the medicine and do their freakin jobs don't be in that field!!!!! Why the hell are they pharmacists if they aren't going to do their freakin jobs?! I'm sick of this shit!

Thanks for getting this news out there!

tell the victim to take a high dose of regular birth control pills (and give her an Rx for same). I'm forgetting the details - maybe something like 2 or 3 pills now, then a couple more within the next 24 or 48 hours? (and this was at a Catholic children's hospital, even).

While that option may (I'm not sure) cause more side effects, such as nausea, etc, than Plan B, it is effective.

Women should be made aware of their options - the women in question probably could have called her Gyn. and gotten a script (or samples) for regular BCPs when Plan B proved so hard to obtain. The new lower dose pills may not work well, but I think some of the older pills are still on the market.

The pharmacists should be fired for not doing their job, and that is to fill prescriptions!

Goddamnit this pisses me off! :grr:

Every one of these "pharmacists" who aren't doing their jobs should be fired. Boycott these places with your medicine.

All the smal impediments add up to the same as a ban.

What is wrong with this fucking country?! HUH?!

Specifically rove and dobson.

It amazes me....but it is true what Margaret Mead said about a small group of people changing the world....

Look what these neocons have done.....but that means WE can do the same thing...and it will be easier since our plans are rational and for the good of the planet.

It's up to us.

They are already traumatized. I cannot for the life of me imagine them having to give birth.
For instance, take a 12 year old girl in 7th grade going to school in a rural area. Is she supposed to attend classes showing her pregnancy and having to answer questions about it?
People are nosy and I cannot imagine having a child having to go through such a thing.
Doesn't anyone have any compassion for the mother?

I hope it doesn't come to this, but progressives might have to create a network of help similar to the Underground Railroad.

I could scream and go ballistic at this sick crap; the woman hating is over the fucking top. If it had been me confronting that so-called pharmacist, I probably WOULD have gone ballistic right there in the store.

I love the questions for them suggested above, especially Do you dispense Viagra? Do you check for the married status of the male customer? Are there any other legal medications you refuse to dispense to certain people for religious reasons? Do you check to make sure the BC you're trying to withold isn't being prescribed for a life-threatening condition (long term excessive bleeding for example)?

This is so damn WRONG :nuke: goddamn them the christofascist taliban womb nazis.

Logic & reason have surely gone by the wayside if this is happening. If we are even spending time debating whether or not religion should be in the science classroom, that is a sign that logic & reason have left us.

How does a free society exist with the ever thumping threat of religious zealots trying to impose their will on the rest of us??

Can we be a free people with politically backed religious zealots attacking our Constitution????

"How can we possibly have a civilized society when things like this exists?"

I honestly don't think they want a civil society.

I want to see how fast they get fired for saying they can't work sundays because of their religion.

They have a legal right not to work Sundays, just as others of other faiths don't have to work on their sabbaths, either. As long as the pharmacy can accomodate the religious need, they are required to by law.

That said, those pharamcists are bastards for not helping her.

She should sue every single pharmacy and pharmacist that refused her, and she should sue for all they've got. This is simply outrageous. This is no different than refusing to serve a black man at a lunch counter. A clear violation of her civils rights. Furthermore, the licensing board should revoke the license of the pharmacist and the pharmacy.

http://www.frysfood.com/contactus.htm

Customer Contact Form
http://www.frysfood.com/customercomments.htm

Call us at:
(623) 936-2100


Mail us at:
Fry's Food Stores of Arizona, Inc.
500 S. 99th Ave.
Tolleson, AZ 85353


The above site says they are owned by Kroger.
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Please consider signing this petition and adding that you want Emergency Contraception protected as well as birth control. Stores would fire anyone who refused to see another product for any reason so why should fundy pharmacists get special rights? Can mormon clerks refuse to see coffee? Can muslims refuse to sell alcohol? Can christians refuse to work sundays? Can jews refuse to sell non-kosher food? Can religious vegetarians refuse to sell meat including medications with gelatin capsules? don't think so!

Tell Congress to protect your access to birth control
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/557320029

Targets: U.S. Senate; House of Representatives
Sponsor: NARAL Pro-Choice AmericaSignatures: 4,836
Goal: 20,000
Deadline: Ongoing...


More and more women are being denied their doctor-prescribed birth control pills across the country.

As many as 20 states have laws on the books that put a pharmacist’s personal views above a woman’s right to safe and legal birth control – making it even easier for pharmacists to deny women access to prescription contraceptives. Birth control is basic health care for the vast majority of American women, and no third party should be able to stop a woman from taking responsibility for her reproductive health!

That's why a bipartisan group of pro-choice members of Congress - Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT), and others have introduced a bill to ensure that women can get their birth control prescriptions filled - without intimidation, inconvenience, or delay. Under the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act (ALPhA), pharmacies would be responsible for filling women’s birth control prescriptions even if a pharmacist refuses for personal reasons.

Please send a letter to your federal lawmakers urging them to support this bill. Help us put a stop to the far-right’s anti-birth control agenda by taking action today.
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Urge the FDA to improve access to the morning-after pill

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/127076967

The Bush administration has broken its promise to make a decision on the morning-after pill by September 1.

American women have waited more than two years for the FDA to decide whether women can purchase the morning-after pill over the counter. The delays persist despite The Bush administration's explicit promise to the U.S. Senate that the FDA would stop dragging its feet and issue a decision by September 1.

Now that Lester Crawford has abruptly resigned his post as Commissioner after just three months on the job, we have a real opportunity for progress under new FDA leadership.

Join us in telling the FDA that Americans are fed up with anti-choice politics getting in the way of sound science and women's access to birth control. Sign our petition to the FDA today.
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Tell pharmacy chains to stop discriminating against women
Targets: Walgreens Pharmacies; Eckerd Pharmacies; RiteAid Pharmacies; Wal-Mart Pharmacies;

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/792375278

Don't let far-right extremists send women's rights back to the 1800s...

In as many as 20 states, pharmacies can refuse to fill women's prescriptions for contraception, including the morning-after pill.

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.

Join NARAL Pro-Choice America in telling our nation's biggest pharmacies (Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen's, and Eckerd's) not to stand between a woman and her physician. Please personalize your letter with a story or experience.
UPDATE: As a result of your letters, CVS Pharmacy just released a new policy to fill all birth control prescriptions without delay. Good work! Let's keep up the pressure.
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There are other similiar petitions out there. some to elected officials and others direct to the pharmacies. You can find some here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22birth+control%22+petition&hl=en&lr=

pharmacies either don't stock it or if they do stock it, they won't sell it. WTF? WTF? WTF?

...that we have here in town does not stock the medication because it is run by a group of Catholic Nuns, but they do refer you to the other hospital down the road which does. I guess I can respect that, they will allow the doctors to prescribe the medication to a rape victim, and tell you where to get the medication, but they for there own religious reasons won't give it at their facility. Now I am probably going to get flamed for it, but I believe that is reasonable. That is all I am looking for in this world, someone to just be reasonable when it comes to this issue.

I suspect that they get off on condemning people like this. It must make them feel artificially important. Disgusting self-righteous wack jobs!

Why wasn't she given EC at the hospital? If she didn't go to the hospital, why didn't the pharmacy at the hospital give it to her? This is flat-out disgusting!!!

Btw, when my SIL was raped this last summer, my pro-life in-laws made sure she got EC. How can anyone tell a rape victim to carry any potential baby? That stinkin' bastard of a pharmacist.

These pharmacists need to find new professions if they refuse to dispense legal drugs.

Because if they do, they are interfering with "God's Plan"(TM) for these people by preventing them from dying of infections, heart attacks and diabetes.

Selling asprin should be against their morals because God (TM) wants you to have that headache damnit!

Rational thought doesn't occur to them.

This woman was twice raped.

I am a pharmacist. I don't practice in the community, but I teach infectious diseases at the college of pharmacy. I cannot understand why these zealots think that they get to make this kind of a judgment in their dispensing. If it were an issue of patient safety, of course, they absolutely have the right and responsibility to question and clarify the prescription. But safety is not even remotely involved in their refusal to dispense contraceptive medications. I've tossed around the idea of actually addressing the issue with our students, but the general response is "politics don't belong in the curriculum." If anyone has any good ideas for how to talk to aspiring pharmacists about women's rights, let me know.

elective or mandatory?

Mandatory ethics courses would seem to be part of the solution--unless religious zealots are going to take over those courses.

Do pharmacists take sworn oaths to get their State licenses? What do those oaths include? Seems to me pharmacists ought to be forced to pledge to dispense medications ASAP exactly as written, unless safety concerns require double-checking with the prescribing doctor.

And what do pharmacists' professional associations have to say about this issue?

Rumor has it that women withheld sex from their husbands until the amendment to allow women to vote was passed. We may have to go for the nuclear option again, to preserve for once and for all a woman's right to choose, whether it be by contraception or abortion.

if a Christian Scientist became a pharmacist, would that person then be permitted to dispense NO medications because their religion forbids it? Who says a pharmacist gets to pick and choose? Do they get to decide that a person's just a whiner and shouldn't get their pain medication? Do they get to decide that a child is too ugly to live and shouldn't get antibiotics? Then why do we permit them to make this idiotic argument against dispensing a legally-prescribed medication?

We need to start picketing pharmacies until they agree to dispense all legal prescriptions. If there is another pharmacist on duty who isn't a whackjob, fine, transfer the prescription filling to that person. If the only pharmacist on duty is a fundy whackjob and they won't fill a prescription right there, that pharmacy should be picketed and boycotted until they mend their ways.