Reproductive Fights

by Dick Mac

Sen. Nina Turner, of Ohio, wants to regulate access to reproductive health care.

We've been seeing a lot of this lately: laws that require the emotional torture of a woman who needs to terminate a pregnancy, a drug-addict radio personality proclaiming that a woman who wants reproductive medicine covered by her insurance is a slut, inane drivel about the sanctity of life, and so forth.

Limiting access to reproductive health care is just the next in a long line of insane ideas the Republican party wants to foist upon us.

It's not bad enough that they want to tell homosexual men how to live their lives and pursue happiness, now they want to control how their daughters and sisters live.

On March 8, 2011, I posted a message on Facebook suggesting " . . . we should pass a law that requires Republican men to have a rectal exam, an ultrasound of his urethra, and a blood gas test, in order to receive a prescription for Viagra. That's sensible, right? It certainly resembles the absurd hoops Republicans want women to jump though for their reproductive treatments."

I was pleasantly surprised on March 10, when it was reported that Senator Turner had introduced legislation in Ohio that suggested a similar plan! See, Bill introduced to regulate men's reproductive health

Senate Bill 307 would require a man seeking access to drugs for erectile-dysfunction to see a sex therapist, have a cardiac stress test, and provide a notarized affidavit signed by a sex partner affirming impotency. Then, in order to continue receiving the prescription, he would have to be tested regularly for heart problems, accept regular counseling about the side effects of the drugs, and learn about about choosing celibacy to avoid the need for expensive medications.

In researching the Ohio bill, I learned it is similar to bills introduced by Democrats in Virginia, Georgia, and Missouri.

In Missouri, a vasectomy would only be allowed to protect a man from serious injury or death; and in Georgia, a similar vasectomy regulation has been introduced.

A Virginia lawmaker put forward an amendment to that state's "abortion ultrasound" bill requiring doctors to perform a rectal exam and stress test before prescribing erectile-dysfunction drugs.

Every Democrat in every state should be spending hours and days, and making more effort to put forth bills and amendments like these.

Since Republicans have declared war on the rights of women, it is the job of Democrats to come to their aid.

See, also:

Viagra Pills Would Need Sex Therapist's Approval in Ohio Bill

Female Lawmakers Introducing Bills Against Vasectomies, Viagra