Amplify Issues - Emergency contraception

Weekly Round-Up: 12/18- 12/24

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:55:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

December 18- December 24

Stats this week: 15 posts by 11 writers

Sexual identity and preferences- by srijanna1

Inside this post:

Insight on the meaning of sexual identity.

The EC Decision: Dismissing the Concerns of Latinas and Low-Income Women- by Amplify_Staff

Inside this post:

Commentary on how Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ decision to block free access to birth control disproportionately effects poor women and women of color.

“Personhood” and Medical Emergencies Demystified- by ashthom

Inside this post:

Ashley discusses how “personhood” laws, in enacted, would endanger the health and life of pregnant women and restrict doctors from providing appropriate medical care

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

The EC Decision: Dismissing the Concerns of Latinas and Low-Income Women

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:58:00 -0500

by Ryann Dubiel, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on RH Reality Check.

With the recent decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to over-rule evidence-based recommendations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow sale of Plan B One-Step over the counter, we once again witnessed the failure to prioritize women’s reproductive health, the continued politicization of access, and evidence of a disconnect of awareness by our policymakers of how increased access to this product would affect millions of women of all ages regardless or race or immigration status.

Latinas represent the population with the highest rate of women without health insurance; seeing a provider and accessing birth control is not an option for many women. Latinas also face a disproportionate number of barriers to EC. Under current rules, women face many barriers, including the requirement of a government-issued ID, residency in rural areas, high costs of the product, and lack of insurance. These rules disproportionately affect Latinas, their families, and immigrant communities in accessing birth control options.

We know that unintended pregnancy has serious economic and social costs, as well as costs to the woman, her family and the community.[i] In Colorado, 39 percent of pregnancies are unintended.[ii] These numbers are higher for women of color: for Latinas (47 percent), and African Americans (53 percent).[iii] And many of these unintended pregnancies affect our youth. We have found that one of the most effective ways to improve the success rate of female students in completing their education is to ensure they have access to comprehensive sexuality education, and to affordable medical care, including contraception, so they can make informed decisions about their sexual health.

Despite Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s work on numerous initiatives that positively affect Latinas’ reproductive health, she failed to work to understand the impact this decision would have on Latinas. This failure makes us question her awareness of the changing demographics of this country, and her commitment to family planning and women’s reproductive health. We encourage our amazing strong partners and other individuals embedded in this fight for reproductive justice to continue raising our voices, and ask the President to overturn this decision.

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[i] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000, November). Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

[ii] Archer, L. et al. (2011). How Healthy Are Colorado Women of Reproductive Age? An Evaluation of Preconception Risk and Protective Factors. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved 17 August 2011, from http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/pubs/Preconception3.pdf

[iii] Palacio, M. et al. (2009). Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Colorado 2009. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Office of Health Disparities. Retrieved 20 August 2011, from http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ohd/ethnicdisparitiesreport/HD%202009%20Low...

Weekly Round-Up: 12/4-12/10

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:24:00 -0500

Since all of this legal jargon can be tricky even for the Pre-Law students among us, we’ve broken down the things we think every woman should know about the Affordable Care Act, and possible threats to it.

Who Knew Fundamental Rights Could Disappear in a Heartbeat?- by OberlinSURF

Inside this post:

Learn more about the anti-abortion “heartbeat bill” in Ohio.

In Emergency Contraception Decision, Obama Administration Undermines Young People and Women’s Health- by Amplify_Staff

Inside this post:

Against the recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services have decided that young people under age 17 will not be able to buy emergency contraception without a prescription.

Myths and Messages About HIV- by Media_Justice

Inside this post:

Here are some of the top questions and myths I receive and challenge/rectify when providing HIV education in high schools...

[More]

"Common Sense" Isn't So Common: How Preventing Access to Plan B Affects Young Women of Color

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:15:00 -0500

Last week, we were all psyched because the Food and Drug Administration recommended that Plan B One-Step (also known as emergency contraception) be approved over-the-counter for women and young people of all ages...then the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gave the FDA the shaft, with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ruling that younger adolescents don't have the same capacity to think as critically as their older peers. Everybody had something to say about it, including Jessica Valenti, Jezebel, NARAL, The Washington Post, doctors groups, The New York Times, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and RH Reality Check.

Then President Obama decided to defend the Secretary Sebelius's decision, stating that, as a father of two daughters, the government should "apply some common sense" — as opposed to what? Listening to science? While I understand President Obama's stance and I can see where Secretary Sebelius is coming from to a certain degree, I also understand a couple of things:

2012 is an election year: This is really about the Obama administration taking all necessary routes to make sure that Obama is re-elected in 2012. What better way to assist in that than by appealing to the "moral consciousness" of many people who are undecided if they should vote for Obama or for the yet-unknown Republican candidate, and by throwing young people under the bus in the process?
Making access to contraception more difficult can result in negative consequences: If a 16-year-old cannot get access to Plan B, the chances of experiencing an unwanted pregnancy or having an abortion increase significantly. Thus, if the goal is to decrease the number of abortion procedures and the number of teen pregnancies, it makes sense to provide everyone with access to an array of birth control options, including emergency contraception. Emergency contraception is safe when used as directed, and it can stop unwanted pregnancies from occurring. This is why comprehensive sex education, combined with parent-child communication, is extremely important.
All young people are not the same: Secretary Sebelius's statement that younger adolescents may not have the same capacity to think as critically as their older peers makes sense on a surface level, but in working with young people throughout the years, I know that not all young people think alike, act alike, and many are more mature and can think critically than many adults give them credit for. In fact, I believe I know more young people who know what Plan B than older adults. Sebelius provided no scientific evidence that would actually say why the FDA is incorrect in their recommendation. To say that younger adolescents do not know how to effectively read a label and take the correct dosage (or that they wouldn't be able to go to their nearest clinic or to a trusted adult if they have questions) is bizarre and condescending.
The same HHS that vetoed the FDA's recommendation on Plan B is the same HHS that recommended health insurance companies provide birth control prescriptions with no co-pay starting August 2012: Was the HHS thinking about any potential damaging consequences when this recommendation was made?
Medical science should always prevail: Common sense isn't so common when it's used to trump scientific evidence. Politics should not win out over medical science. I expected for President Obama to focus more on the best medical and scientific research.

Though teen birth rates have steadily declined over the years, young women of color still experience unintended pregnancies at a disproportionate rate.

These are some reasons why not making Plan B available over-the-counter affects young women of color:

Significant barriers: Youth of color experience more financial, cultural, and institutional barriers in obtaining health care compared to white youth, and many youth of color are receiving limited access to medical services that can aid in their overall health and wellbeing. Denying young women of color access to emergency contraception over-the-counter, when they are already receiving little or no medical services, places them in a precarious situation.
Abortions on the rise: Women of color are having abortions at higher rates than white women, often because of financial constraints. With no access to Plan B, the rates of abortion will continue to rise for young women, especially young women of color.
Limited proper identification: In order to get any type of prescription, one will need access to proper identification outside of a school ID. How many young people are walking around with proper identification? This can definitely be a problem for young immigrant women.
Negotiating condom use: This places an even greater burden on young women of color who have difficulty in negotiating condom use with their sexual partners.

Yes, President Obama may have been thinking of his daughters when he defended the HHS's decision to overrule the FDA. However, many young women of color may not be growing up in homes where they have access to healthcare services that the Obama children most likely have. In order to work towards decreasing the rates of unintended pregnancies and abortion for young women of color, we need to make Plan B available for all young people.

Take action with me and many others in telling the Obama administration and HHS to stop preventing the FDA from recommending scientifically based and sound decisions for the health and lives of women and young people.

Dr. Susan Wood on the Obama Administration's Plan B Politics

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:30:00 -0500

Dr. Susan Wood never thought that she'd see this day again.

In August 2005, Wood resigned from her position as Assistant Commissioner and Director of the Office of Women's Health at the Food and Drug Administration in protest of the Bush administration's refusal to grant Plan B One-Step emergency contraception over-the-counter status.

In an interview earlier this week with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Wood discussed the Obama administration's new politically motivated restrictions on Plan B and its unprecedented overruling of its own top medical scientists. The interview is a must-watch:

Also check out Wood's recent Op-Ed in The Washington Post. Here's an excerpt:

In his scientific integrity memo [from March 2009], [President Obama] stated:
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"When scientific or technological information is considered in policy decisions, the information should be subject to well-established scientific processes, including peer review where appropriate, and each agency should appropriately and accurately reflect that information in complying with and applying relevant statutory standards."
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In overturning the well-considered, scientifically based decision of the FDA, Sebelius and the Department of Health and Human Services certainly did not "appropriately and accurately reflect" the available scientific information. Her precedent-setting action undermines the principles of scientific integrity and science-based policymaking — and could pave the way for a future HHS secretary to overrule the FDA in other areas.
The president should stand by the principles of scientific integrity and restore science to its rightful place. He should support the FDA commissioner and direct the secretary to allow the agency to do its job. By doing so he will fulfill the promise of that beautiful day in March 2009 when he pledged that science would trump politics, not the other way around.

The Need for Plan B for All

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:30:00 -0500

I am absolutely outraged with President Obama for supporting the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ decision to enforce age restrictions on Plan-B One Step (emergency contraception) for individuals 17 years of age and younger.

Essentially President Obama is afraid that 10 and 12 year old girls will take/use Plan B (the morning-after pill) without supervision or guidance and get hurt. President Obama is afraid that young girls/women can go inside a drug store alongside bubble gum and batteries and buy a medication, which if not used properly could potentially have an adverse affect. President Obama says, "And I think most parents would feel the same way."

President Obama, I think you are wrong. I believe most parents would rather have their daughter have unrestricted access to PlanB than to find them pregnant. It is already difficult to have conversations about sexual activity with one’s parents. Plan B is most effective if used within 72 hours of unprotected sex. If a young person who is sexually active has had difficulty talking about sex for their entire upbringing, why would President Obama assume the young person would come up with the courage to have this conversation within recommended time frame?

So if the young woman cannot have this conversation with her parent/guardian so she can get Plan B, then where will she go? It only makes the situation more difficult, and I believe this will lead more young women to make more difficult decisions in the future.

Why are we punishing young women for engaging in sexual activity? I believe President Obama decided to oppose the FDA’s recommendation because he is worried political opponents will accuse him of "giving young girls permission to have sex." But his fears won’t stop young people from having sex – and it won’t stop them from needing Plan B. President Obama needs to understand that people are sexual beings and sex is an action that occurs, and young people engage in sexual activity. He is trying to not make Plan B be a panacea for young women who choose to have unprotected sex. I understand this, however, he needs to provide another option, and there is no other option on the table at this moment for young women 17 and under.

The fact is that he is hoping that young people will communicate with their parents regarding their sexual life is a difficult feat in itself, and could potentially lead to young women having to turn to abortion because the former option of preventing pregnancy through the option of Plan B has already been taken off of the table.

Lone Star Update: Sex Ed in Texas

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:44:00 -0500

Garrett Mize is the Youth Advocacy Coordinator at the Texas Freedom Network and heads up the Texas Student Leadership Council, a part of Advocates for Youth's Cultural Advocacy and Mobilization Initiative.

In just the past few months, comprehensive sex ed has made huge strides in Texas. With the announcement of Texas Freedom Network’s latest report, our Houston Leadership Development Institute and World AIDS Day there is plenty of good news to go around.

Texas Freedom Network Education Fund Report

TFNEF’s latest report on sex ed in Texas is much different than our original 2009 report Just Say Don’t Know. In the first report, we asked each public school district in Texas to tell us what type of sex ed they taught. Of the 1,031 independent school districts in Texas, 990 responded. We found that 94 percent of school districts taught abstinence-only, 3.6 percent taught abstinence-plus and 2.3 percent taught nothing at all. The numbers were startling to say the least.

Our newest report, Sex Education in Texas Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State, found that abstinence-only is now taught in 74.6 percent of school districts, and abstinence-plus is taught in 25.4 percent of school districts. This major improvement in the quality of sex ed taught in Texas is thanks in large part to grassroots activists who have served on a local School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) and to organizations like the Texas Freedom Network and Advocates for Youth. While abstinence-only remains the clear majority, it is losing its grip in Texas. The latest report’s findings were featured in The Dallas Morning News.

University of Houston Leadership Development Institute

Recently, the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter at UH hosted its first-ever Leadership Development Institute. This grassroots training focused on civic engagement and skills to organize students on campus to support comprehensive sex ed in a non-partisan manner during the election cycle. With 50 people in attendance, this training was a popular Saturday event.

James Lee, president of the TFN student chapter at UH, organized the event and introduced the presenters, which included Dr. Susan Tortolero, director of the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center; Meryl Cohen, vice president of Education at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast; Resha Thomas, campaign coordinator for the Texas Organizing Project; and Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network.

I’m expecting a lot of great work to come out of this student chapter next semester!

World AIDS Day 2011

Despite the fact that it was finals week, our youth activists managed to put on great events to highlight World AIDS Day on their campuses. In particular, Mackenzie Massey, president of the TFN student chapter at UT, organized the entire World AIDS Day fair at her school. She created a coalition of 13 student organizations, led by the TFN student chapter, to put on this day of action. The coalition had free HIV testing, a T-shirt awareness campaign with 250 t-shirts, an expert discussion panel, a student organization tabling fair, a banner signing campaign and a petition signing effort to support comprehensive sex ed in Texas. Mackenzie worked closely with Ana Laura Rivera, another fantastic Advocates for Youth activist, to put this event on.

Their efforts were featured in numerous media outlets, including Spanish-language Univision, The Daily Texan, Austin NPR affiliate KUT 90.5 FM and other student news sources. Other youth activists also took action by tabling on their campuses to mark World AIDS Day, including Spencer Allers at UT San Antonio and April Flores at UT Brownsville.

There has been a lot of progress in Texas this past semester, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have much to look forward to in 2012!

A Young Physician's Response to President Obama's Plan B Failure: Where Is the Scientific Integrity?

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:00:00 -0500

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a guest post from Megan Evans, MD, MPH. Megan is the Past-President of Medical Students for Choice.

Like most of the pro-choice community, I was shocked by Secretary Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services overruling the FDA's decision to make Plan B over-the-counter and available for all ages. This was unexpected, unprecedented, and extremely unfortunate.

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.

Not only is this infuriating, but hypocritical. A certain document found on WhiteHouse.gov by The Obama Administration dated March 9, 2009 expresses quite the different sentiment. Interestingly, this release from The White House Press Secretary is entitled "Scientific Integrity" and the first line states "[s]cience and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my Administration on a wide range of issues, including improvement of public health..."

I suppose I missed the footnote that implied exceptions for family planning.

As I read the press releases on Secretary Sebelius' decision and the news about President Obama's unwavering support of her overruling, I could not help but pick apart their few but telling remarks:

President Obama stated that 10 to 11 year-olds would be able to buy Plan B next to "batteries and bubble gum," potentially putting these young girls at risk for adverse events if they did not use Plan B correctly. Interestingly, Tylenol is over-the-counter and far more dangerous with far more potential for adverse outcomes. Oh, and pregnancy in a 10 to 11 year-olds also has FAR more adverse outcomes than a small, but effective dose of Plan B.

Speaking of 10 to 11-year-olds, less than 1% of this age group is sexually active. On the other hand, more than half of adolescent girls have had intercourse by their 17th birthday. So yes, by continuing to repeat this age group through the media, it certainly helps to sensationalize barely pubertal girls becoming sexually active, but it is an unreasonable and inappropriate example. Sexually active girls below the age of 17 are still required to have a prescription of Plan B from a physician or medical health professional to take to their local pharmacy, creating an undue burden and precious, wasted time after unprotected sex.

Lastly, how could you do this? When you became our leader, President Obama, we counted on you to stand up for women's reproductive health, to stop putting unnecessary roadblocks to family planning services in front of all women everywhere, and to be our voice. Instead you have ignored the science behind the drug, you have ignored your vow to scientific integrity and you have ignored your biggest voting base — WOMEN and YOUTH.

As a young physician and an advocate for access to reproductive health, I hold these things to be true:

Women and their partners deserve better.
Our leaders should fight to break down barriers to access to family planning, not reinforce them.
Advocacy and activism are key for change and progress.

Now more than ever, we need to raise our voices to make sure our leaders hear us! Call The White House. Call HHS. Call your Congresspersons. Write an op-ed. Sign the petition.

Make your voices heard.

Disappointed Doesnt Cut It Anymore: A Mothers Rebuttal of President Obamas Plan B Politics

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:39:00 -0500

Disappointed doesn’t cut it anymore.

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.

Scared about the health of my daughters. As the mother of two daughters, just like President Obama, I try to use "common sense" as much as possible. But, also like President Obama, I am not a doctor; I am not a scientist. I use my own judgment when it comes to things I am confident I can handle — a case of the sniffles, a little cold.

But, I also understand that it is my responsibility as a parent to know when I don't know all the answers and it’s time to turn to experts. And that, apparently, is where the President and I disagree.

When my daughter’s pediatrician gives me medical advice, I listen. Carefully. American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine make recommendations about my daughters' health, that matters to me. A lot. And I believe it should.

Today, President Obama has made the irresponsible — and nearly incomprehensible — decision to support HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ move to block the FDA from expanding access to Plan B One-Step emergency contraception. Whether the President’s decision was motivated by well-intentioned ignorance or political cowardice is beside the point. Either way, this move will adversely impact millions of women, particularly young women, across the country.

President Obama has decided to ignore scientific research and medical advice and has sacrificed the health of young women. And I want to know why. Why, Mr. President? Why would you reject years of research and the best scientific thinking the medical community has to offer? Why, for the first time in U.S. history, did your administration intervene to overrule the FDA’s ability to make decision about medical science?

On Monday, I was optimistic. The FDA was expected to expand the availability of Plan B One-Step, a form of back-up birth control that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if something goes wrong with regular contraception. Indeed, the FDA tried to do just that: make Plan B One-Step available to all women — without age restrictions and without needing a prescription. If either of my daughters ever needs back-up birth control, I hope I will be among the first to know and I would help them in whatever way I could. But, life is not always as we want it to be, and therefore, it is essential that young people have the access to the information and services they need to ensure their health and safety. I thought we were headed in this direction on Monday. But, my optimism suddenly turned to dismay.

Yesterday, in a shocking move, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius took the unprecedented step of overruling the FDA and blocking its decision to expand access to emergency contraception. I held out a brief hope that President Obama would intervene and allow the FDA to do its job unhampered by politics, but those hopes were soon dashed as well. Today, President Obama came out in support of Secretary Sebelius' action – and, in doing so, decided to play politics with the lives and health of young women.

To say I was shocked when listening to the President is an understatement. It’s not just that I disagree with his position, it’s that his reasoning is so hollow and unsubstantiated. This Harvard-educated legal scholar who has signed presidential directives about the importance of science-based policy suddenly sounded eerily like Rep. Michelle Bachman. He framed his reasoning “as the father of two daughters,” when my own two daughters most needed him to be acting like the President of the United States. He invoked the specter of 11 year-olds buying Plan B next to “bubble gum and batteries,” as if 11 year-olds wander into CVS to buy $50 medications every afternoon. In the end, he felt that these concerns should overweigh the best advice of every major medical organization, years of research, and the recommendations of the FDA itself. How is this different than Rep. Bachman condemning HPV vaccines because of unscientific misinformation from a woman in the grocery store?

I understand that President Obama is uncomfortable with the idea that young teens may need emergency contraception. That worries me too. Rather than deny them access to a fully safe medication that could help prevent unintended pregnancy, perhaps we should be doubling down on comprehensive sex education — and expanding access to contraception in the first place — so that fewer of our daughters ever need Plan B at all. But, for those who do, we still have a responsibility to make sure that any woman who needs emergency contraception has access to it when they need it.

As I write this my daughters are at school and I am figuring out how to get them a quick dinner before heading off to a school holiday party this evening. Of all the other things, on my to do list today as a working mom, I really did not believe I would be writing about my shock and disappointment in President Obama and, yes, my fear for my daughters' future.

Was this part of a back-room deal, trading away the rights of all our daughters for some inside-the-beltway political ploy? Mr. President, why? I still want to know. I need something more than your current, cowardly excuses.

Mr. President, many of us were stunned by your remarks today. We need a better explanation for why you decided to sacrifice my daughters' safety and well-being.

I hope you will join me in expressing your outrage and demanding that President Obama reverse this decision. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION.

10 Must-Read Reactions to President Obama's Emergency Contraception Decision

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:22:00 -0500

By now, the Obama administration must realize the political firestorm that it has created for itself by overruling the Food and Drug Administration and refusing to expand the availability of emergency contraception to women of reproductive age.

Here, President Obama and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are the objects of outrage for good reason: their decision to reject the clear-cut medical science in this case exposes their willingness to sacrifice young people and women's health in the interest of continuing a cowardly brand of politics.

Earlier today, President Obama publicly defended the sudden restrictions on over-the-counter emergency contraception (while simultaneously deflecting blame for this decision). Watch him explain his thinking by citing the non-reason that he is the "father of two daughters" (wait — I am the father of two daughters, and therefore I'm happy to support something that degrades their long-term health?):

(Video from ThinkProgress)

The President may think that this petty maneuvering improves his 2012 election chances, but to this we can only say: you should read and listen to all of the condemnation today. Editorial boards across the country, basically the entire progressive movement, and countless women's rights and reproductive health organizations and advocates have denounced this administration for selling out and bartering away our health care. This isn't something that anyone's going to easily forget.

Below we've compiled some must-read reactions to the Obama administration's emergency contraception reversal:

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Jodi Jacobson via RH Reality Check:

Why?

I have one word. P.O.L.I.T.I.C.S.

If we have been reminded of one thing in the past several months, it is that politicians and religious leaders alike will, when it suits them, marginalize the rights and needs of women to advance their own interests and need for power. And somewhere, someone in the Obama Administration, perhaps the president himself, gave the cue to HHS to overrule the FDA decision. And clearly, as she sometimes did as governor of Kansas, Sebelius did the deed.

Because apparently the health and rights of women do not matter, but placating the far right does. Because apparently helping teens actually prevent unintended pregnancies isn't an authentic a goal of this administration. Perhaps it was among the topics on which President Obama came to "understand the concerns of Catholics [read: the 281 bishops]," as Archbishop Timothy Dolan assured The New York Times after his private meeting with the president.

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Amanda Marcotte via Reuters:

Teva Pharmaceuticals, the Israeli manufacturer of Plan B, met every standard the FDA uses to evaluate whether or not a drug should be sold over-the-counter with no age restrictions, and they met the standards years ago. In 2005, Bush administration officials also hijacked the over-the-counter approval process, citing vague concerns about the decision-making skills of the under-18 set. The Government Accountability Office excoriated the politicized process that kept Plan B behind the pharmacist counter, noting that out of the 67 proposed prescription-to-OTC switches considered from 1994 to 2004, Plan B was the only one whose application was denied despite the advisory committee's recommendation for approval.

In other words, we're seeing a pattern.

Teva applies to sell Plan B over the counter.
The medical experts weigh the evidence and agree with their application.
But political appointees with ties to the White House block the switch, citing vague concerns about the decision-making abilities of teenagers.

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The Abortion Gang:

It's hard to understand how the Secretary thought there was good reason to contradict the FDA, especially when many clinicians, members of Congress, reproductive rights advocates and healthcare professionals saw no evidence to prevent Plan B from being over-the-counter. In fact, the effort to make emergency contraception available to all people of reproductive age started six years ago. In 2005, Susan Wood resigned from the FDA because of delays in approving Plan B over the counter. Today, she's quoted in the Washington Post, saying:
"There is no rationale that can justify HHS reaching in and overturning the FDA on the decision about this safe and effective contraception. I never thought I'd see this happen again."

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Digby:

Good news. It looks like we've finally gotten the long awaited post-partisan achievement: the Democrats have joined the war on science. And women! It's a twofer…

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A New York Times Editorial:

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, reversed the decision, arguing that younger girls, those 11 or 12 years old, have different cognitive and behavioral skills than older girls. She offered no evidence to challenge her agency's in-depth analysis. And it is hard not to see this as anything but an effort to blunt Republican criticism in the presidential campaign or shield the FDA budget from retaliation. Unfortunately, the losers will be young girls who need easy access to the pill.

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Kaili Joy Gray via Daily Kos:

In other words, there isn't enough evidence that a 15-year-old girl has the "cognitive" and "behavioral" ability to read a label and properly take a pill. So, since it's "common knowledge" that girls under 17 are too stupid and/or immature to undertand how to read a label, it's safer for them if they have to first get to a doctor who will write them a prescription they can take to the pharmacy — all within 72 hours. Which should be easy for a kid to do, right?

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Lorraine Berry via RH Reality Check:

I really thought you were going to hold the football steady this time, Obama. I really did.

I'm an idiot. I keep hoping against hope that you're not going to throw women under the bus. That you can stand up to the ladies who swoon at the Concerned Women for America. You think they're going to vote for you because you said no to Plan B?

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Matt Langer via Wonkette:

Make no mistake: Sebelius didn't go rogue here; there is no doubt in our minds that she was carrying out marching orders from an administration now fully in re-election mode and — for reasons we're trying and utterly failing to wrap our heads around — fearing backlash from a conservative bloc that regularly sends people like Mark Foley to Congress and Ted Haggard to the pulpit and would sooner undergo voluntary waterboarding than vote for a Democrat anyway.

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A San Jose Mercury News Editorial:

Despite significant progress in reducing the teen pregnancy rate, about 50,000 girls in California have unwanted pregnancies every year. The FDA conducted extensive research and found that Plan B is safe and effective. It is already sold over the counter in more than 40 nations. Case closed. But not for Sebelius — nor, we can only assume, for Obama.

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Finally, the last word goes to the actual health care providers. Three expert groups that represent well over 100,000 medical professionals condemned the Obama administration for prioritizing political gamesmanship over the health and well-being of countless Americans:

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College) and the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) denounce the decision today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to overrule an evidence-based decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve an application for over-the-counter access without age restriction to the emergency contraception (EC) product Plan B One-Step. This move defies the strong data that EC is safe and effective for all females of reproductive age.

In Emergency Contraception Decision, Obama Administration Undermines Young People and Women's Health

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:43:00 -0500

In a deeply dismaying move today, President Obama and the Department of Health and Human Services have spurned the clear-cut medical science backing over-the-counter availability of Plan B-One Step — and in doing so they've revealed their willingness to sacrifice the rights and health of women and young people for the sake of appeasing social conservatives.

Who knew? The federal guardians of our health and health care are the newest spokespeople for the President's 2012 election campaign.

Here's the short of it: the Food and Drug Administration put forward a recommendation that Plan B-One Step emergency contraception be made available without a prescription to all women — whenever they needed it and regardless of age. This would have been a huge step forward. Emergency contraception is more effective the sooner you take it, so removing any extra steps like getting a prescription or dealing with a pharmacist (who might stigmatize someone asking for Plan B or refuse to fill the prescription at all) can make a huge difference, especially for younger women.

Indeed, the current rules — which require a prescription for anyone under age 17 — have an enormous impact on all young women because you need an ID to prove your age and buy emergency contraception without a prescription. Recent data show that 18% of 18 to 24-year-olds lack a government-issued photo ID, which means nearly 1 in 5 people might be blocked from purchasing EC when they need it most.

The FDA's ruling would have been fantastic news — until, earlier today, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seems to have caved to political pressure and overruled the FDA's recommendation. In her bizarre statement announcing this decision, Secretary Sebelius effectively blames young women for her own political cowardice, saying we can't be sure that younger women will understand how to take Plan B One-Step effective. (HINT: It involves taking one pill. That's why it's called Plan B-One Step.) You have to go decades back to find a previous instance of HHS reversing any FDA decision — ever. It just doesn't happen. And it certainly doesn't happen without the President's approval.

If the fight over back-up birth control sounds familiar, that is because this is the same fight that's been going on since President Bush promoted ideology and politics over science in his administration — but we'd been given reason to hope those days were behind us. In 2009, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum committing his administration to champion science; however, today's decision is an outright rejection of science by his administration.

"Science and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my Administration on a wide range of issues, including improvement of public health...The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions."
- From a March 2009 Presidential Memorandum on Scientific Integrity

The FDA's recommendation to expand emergency contraceptive access to all women was based on exhaustive and peer-reviewed medical science. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine all support access to emergency contraception for all females of reproductive age, yet once again those in power are more interested in staying there than in the health and well-being of women.

Smell politics, anyone? The FDA's recommendation to expand emergency contraceptive access to young people was based on exhaustive and peer-reviewed medical science. The fact that another federal government agency would so readily undermine medical science points to a horribly short-sighted and purely election-based calculus: In order to impress right-wing voters upset by his administration's earlier decision to extend health care coverage to include contraception, President Obama has decided to surrender the rights of young people and young women in the interest of jacking up his poll numbers.

Here at Advocates for Youth, we see what happens to young people when their basic rights aren't respected. We meet people like Tanisha (see the video below), a student at Georgetown University, who had to confront terrible stigma and a total lack of support in using emergency contraception. In denying young people access to Plan B-One Step — and in concocting a lame excuse that dismisses young people's agency and their ability to make informed decisions about their sexual health — President Obama is in effect telling Tanisha something she should never hear: your voice doesn't count.

When the evidence gets trampled, politics is usually at play. The Obama administration probably believes that young people don't fully realize this, but they do. And they're going to push back.

TAKE ACTION: Tell the President to put politics aside and instruct Secretary Sebelius to reverse her decision.

BCSSH Sex Files #16: The Busy Woman's Guide to Health Care Reform

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:44:00 -0500

Boston College Students for Sexual Health is an unofficial student organization that was formed in response to the lack of sexual health education and resources at Boston College. Among other activities, we blog regularly on Her Campus BC in an effort to reach out to the student body and promote thinking about sex-related issues. This particular entry provides a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, addresses possible changes to the act, and applies these situations to the average woman, specifically at Boston College. Please note that this blog entry was originally posted on Her Campus BC.

Free birth control coverage? Not so fast...

Regardless of your political interest or stance, it’s becoming increasingly hard to ignore the splash caused by the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress this past March. The much debated act has finally gotten the ball rolling on health care reform in the US and has shone a crucial light on the current state of women’s health, which has been in desperate need of some TLC.

Overall, the Affordable Care Act seeks to reform health insurance companies in favor of patients. It would ban lifetime limits that affect people with long-term or chronic illnesses, cover young adults on their parent’s plan until the age of 26 (this provision has recently been put into place), and prohibit discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions – basically, get rid of all the jerky things that insurance companies have been able to get away with. Yeah, we’ve had enough of that, too. The more controversial aspects of the plan are included under the umbrella of women’s preventative care – like covering contraception without co-pays, which we’re pretty excited about. Since all of this legal jargon can be tricky even for the Pre-Law students among us, we’ve broken down the things we think every woman should know about the Affordable Care Act, and possible threats to it.

1. The Facts
The current plan regarding women's preventative care would:

Allow for annual “Well-Woman” visits, covering all age and developmentally appropriate
services
Provide testing for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Gestational Diabetes
Provide testing and counseling for HIV and other STIs
Provide screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence
Cover all FDA approved forms of contraception, sterilization procedures, and reproductive education and counseling without co-pay, deductible, or other charges

2. Supporting the Bill
Supporters of the new preventative care measures base their reinforcement of the bill on the following facts:

A 2001 study found that half of all pregnancies in the US were unintended. The largest roadblock to contraception for many women is cost (averaging $10 to $50 per month, which isn’t exactly pocket change). Free access to birth control would allow for family planning and place greater emphasis on healthy families.
The plan would support the status quo on abortion policy (no federal money will be used to fund abortions and health plans cannot be required to fund abortion). All contraceptive measures covered will prevent pregnancy, but will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
Allowing personal beliefs to determine what will or will not be covered by health plans undermines the purpose of health insurance. According to Adam Sconfield of the Guttmacher Institute, “You would have people questioning treating lung cancer for smokers or accident victims of a motorcycle wreck, or objecting to people having too many kids." Well said.

3. The Opposition
Of course, a change as momentous as this is likely to draw a few adversaries. This is especially pronounced in cases where religious institutions provide health insurance to their employees. Major arguments against contraceptive coverage include:

Contraception should not be included under preventative care because pregnancy is not a disease.
People against abortion shouldn’t be asked to subsidize methods they believe can cause abortions (which, they claim, happens through their insurance premiums).
More contraception doesn’t necessarily lead to fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

The plan currently offers a narrow religious refusal clause (often called a conscience clause), which allows certain religious institutions to exclude contraception from the insurance plans that they offer to their employees. This clause would apply to an institution that “has inculcation of religious values as its purpose” and primarily serves and employs people that share its religious beliefs. Basically, it exempts institutions such as churches, but not religiously affiliated hospitals, schools, or universities (such as, ahem, Boston College). The Obama administration is currently under pressure to add a wider refusal clause that would exempt these institutions from having to provide this benefit to their employees and students.

4. So what would change at BC, exactly?
Well, not as much as we may hope, but it’s a start. Massachusetts state law already requires all MA medical insurance plans (including student plans) to offer prescription drug coverage, including contraceptive drug consultations and prescriptions. For the average BC woman, this means that contraception would at least be partially covered under BC’s health insurance either way and the student is charged a co-pay. But the exciting part would come in at the register, when we can put our already-scarce college student funds towards more worthwhile means than co-pays on birth control. These changes would be even more drastic to women in states without state laws that mandate these provisions – say, our friends over at Notre Dame. While BC can still refuse to prescribe or distribute birth control pills in Health Services (boo), their student insurance plans would have to completely cover the entire cost of contraception if a student seeks these services elsewhere (yay!).

But don’t put your wallet away just yet. If the opposition’s refusal clause succeeds, plans like Boston College insurance would no longer be obligated to cover the full cost of contraception. To fight the pending broader refusal clause, and to stand up for the rights the federal government is announcing that all women should have, sign Amplify Your Voice’s “Obama, Don’t Cave” Petition.

Regardless of your personal stance on the issue, we applaud the Obama administration for striving towards loophole-free protection of women’s health, and for finally taking a firm federal stance on women’s reproductive rights. Our health (...and our rights...and our wallets) is thankful.

Peace, love, and lube
BC Students for Sexual Health

Weekly Round-Up: 11/6- 11/12

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:29:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

November 6- November 12

Stats this week: 13 posts by 11 writers

Proud to be Polish- by Jordan

Inside this post:

Jordan writes about the election of Anna Grodzka, Poland’s first transgender member of parliament.

Election Roundp: GREAT Night for Progressives- by AFY_Will

Inside this post:

Will summarizes some progressive victories from the recent election, including the election to town council of one of Advocates for Youth’s former youth activists, Lee Storrow.

What if Justin Bieber Has A Baby- by Media_Justice

Inside this post:

Bianca uses the scandal around Justin Bieber allegedly getting a young woman pregnant to discuss condom use, consent, and how society treats young mothers.

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

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My post this week:
Myths about Virginity in Glee's "First Time"

Weekly Round-Up: 10/9- 10/15

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:15:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

October 9- October 15

Stats this week: 25 posts by 19 writers

New Healthcare Law and Young People: What You Need to Know- by AFY-Sarah

Inside this article:

Some important details on the Affordable Care Act that pertain particularly to women and young people, including how long you can stay on your parent’s insurance, whether you can be denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition, birth control co-pays, and the expansion of Medicaid.

Out of the Darkness, and Into The Light- by BoyPrincess32

Inside this post:

One activist finds their calling in social justice and the effort to bring an end to bullying and suicide- the number one killer of teens.

Legal Ramifications of Personhood- by ashthom

Inside this post:

What are the real consequences of state laws declaring that a fetus is a person? Where do such laws lead and what are the implications of forcing “one person to care for another because its rights are superior?”

Flashback To Revolutionary TV: The Golden Girls- by Media_Justice

Inside this post:

Some of the topics they discussed, and that I remember to this day, include: HIV, condom usage, dating, sexism, homophobia, single parenting, marriage, divorce, healthcare, aging, disability, race, and of course friendship.
They were, and still are, on the vanguard of television.

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

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My post this week:
Obama, HRC,& the culture of change: Understanding the equality movement

New resources for youth in Appalachia

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:44:00 -0500

I’m extremely excited to be able to share some of WV FREE’s (a reproductive justice organization in West Virginia) new youth resources on Amplify’s blog. With so much misinformation, outright lies and superstitions surrounding sexuality and safe sex, WV FREE has decided to devote our new mini-site www.wvfree.org/getaplan entirely to reproductive health & options for teens in West Virginia.

On our “Get a Plan” page you’ll find accurate information about safe sex, contraceptive effectiveness, and a full-range of pregnancy options.

The next page, “Know Your Rights, Know the Facts” outlines the legal system for minors seeking an abortion. Because of the high number of Crisis Pregnancy Centers in West Virginia (clinics that masquerade as a center for women’s health and are usually run by extreme anti-choice groups) we felt it was necessary to provide a place for young people to find out all their legal options when faced with a difficult decision about a pregnancy.

As one young man shouted out during the last “Emergency Contraception” training I taught—“Knowledge is power.” Which is why our last page, “Be the Change” is designed to provide West Virginia youth with information about how to advocate for themselves and their peers at the state and national level.

I hope even if you’re not from the great Mountain State you’ll check out our new resources on our www.wvfree.org/getaplan website, including our fabulous YouTube videos starring…a loveable “horny” rhino! Check it out here--http://youtu.be/e0-odYncW8w and let us know what you think.

Let’s start with education. Let’s end with empowerment.