Protest follows denial of morning-after pill

[AGDee]

I think some of you are confused about what this pill actually does. This is NOT RU486, the controversial "abortion" pill. This one prevents pregnancy. It is a medicinal form of the IUD. Both forms of birth control change the lining of the uterus and prevent implantation.

From Preven.com:

PREVEN® (Levonorgestrel 0.25mg/Ethinyl Estradiol 0.05mg tablet USP) is Emergency Contraception. It:
Can prevent a pregnancy from starting if you take it within 72 hours of unprotected sex
Won't hurt a pregnancy that has already started — it will not affect a fetus

This is birth control, not abortion.

Dee

[James]

Ok, thanks for the clarification.

Whatever pill that prevents a girl from being a baby-mama should be in EVERYONE's cabinet as well as available through handy dispensers in bathrooms.

[decadence]

Originally posted by James: ....Whatever pill that prevents a girl from being a baby-mama.

?

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by AlphaGamDiva

it's like you don't want to be a part of a scenario where someone is killing another person, so you distance yourself from the person trying to do the murder. in this case, the guy couldn't separate murder from abortion. just like a lot of people *raises hand*.....he did the right thing for himself morally, just not economically as now he is out of a job.

can ppl voice their concerns about the rights of mothers, but no one is allowed to voice concerns about the rights of the unborn?

It disturbs me how many people--how many women of childbearing age, even--are completely in the dark about the differences between Plan B/Preven and RU-486/mifepristone.

As AGDee said, the morning after pill is basically a great big super-concentrated birth control pill. Levornorgestrel, the active ingredient, is the same thing that a few pills (Alesse, Levlite), the Norplant implants, and the BC ring contains. In such a large dose, it simply prevents conception. Since when does preventing conception equal abortion? Only if you're misinformed like our friend the Eckerd pharmacist is.

Mifepristone is the actual "abortion pill," and it is only administered by hospitals and clinics because of its abortifacient nature, ie...NOT PHARMACIES.

Besides, some fundie hospital or locally-owned pharmacy has probably already swooped him up. I wouldn't worry about his economic problems.

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
Since when does preventing conception equal abortion? Only if you're misinformed like our friend the Eckerd pharmacist is.

Since always! If you use birth control, you are a murderer!

...of course I am kidding.

[GeekyPenguin]

Eckerd did the right thing here.

As for the pharmacist - he knew this was going to happen eventually, and he lost his job because of what he did. I hope he thinks God will take care of him in the unemployment line.

I have huge flaws with the role of faith in the medical system. For those of you who don't know, I attend a Jesuit school. I had to have emergency surgery over Christmas break, and I was getting followup care from the Student Health Services. I had a nurse flinch at me when I told her I was on the Pill, and she also told me that my surgery was "God's way of telling me to slow down." I don't think God had me born with a problem so that 20 years later it would manifest, but I digress - I don't think faith belongs in medicine to this extent. I'm a halfpracticing Catholic, and I was offended by what she said - how would one of our atheist/agnostic/something non-Christian students feel?

I wonder if this man was comfortable dispensing birth control, since this is the EXACT SAME THING.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by astroAPhi
I'm a Christian, and I even I have a problem with this. It's not his decision to make, it's hers.

I'm pro-life, but I don't stand in front of abortion clinics and prevent women from going inside. I practice MY faith. I don't force it on others.

Well said, astroAPhi. I was thinking exactly the same thing.

If he doesn't have his license taken away, he should try to get a job at a Catholic hospital where his beliefs would be more in line with those of his supervisors.

[AlphaGamDiva]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
It disturbs me how many people--how many women of childbearing age, even--are completely in the dark about the differences between Plan B/Preven and RU-486/mifepristone.

it also disturbs me how some women get pregnant when they "want to" and it's a baby....when they get pregnant by some surprise/accident, it's a "fetus"....you want it, it's a life, you don't, it's less than one......always fascinates me.

As AGDee said, the morning after pill is basically a great big super-concentrated birth control pill. Levornorgestrel, the active ingredient, is the same thing that a few pills (Alesse, Levlite), the Norplant implants, and the BC ring contains. In such a large dose, it simply prevents conception. Since when does preventing conception equal abortion? Only if you're misinformed like our friend the Eckerd pharmacist is.

i know what the morning after pill is.....seeing as though a friend of mine was raped and it was administered to her through the hospital. it made her sick for a few days, but yes, was better than what could have happened. i know what birth control is as i use it, thank you, and i know that the morning after pill does not stop an already-in-the-works-pregnancy, and that it merely stops one from happening. morning after pill=higher form of birth control, not an abortion as an abortion is the removal of a live and growing fetus. all i was saying in my post was that i understand the pharmacists logic, not necessarily that i agree with it. i know you hate to believe that, but there it is. this guy obviously had very strong opinions about any kind of birth control, and therefore didn't administer it to her. and yes, he should have chosen another profession if he couldn't follow these orders.

never once in my post did i say i agreed with him in that he should have withheld the pill from her....i just noted that i could see where he was coming from...that was all i was trying to express to those who were just angry at this man and were cutting him no slack whatsoever in that he just may be a man of strong conviction--whether you agree with his convictions or not. i said that i "applaud him" for staying strong to what he believes....did not say "i applaud him for doing the right thing." i don't think he did the right thing at all....drugs should always be given to those in such need of them....as long as they aren't asking for freakin acid or whatever.

again, she was able to get the pill she needed, he's now out of a job.....what more do you want?

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
I had a nurse flinch at me when I told her I was on the Pill, and she also told me that my surgery was "God's way of telling me to slow down." I don't think God had me born with a problem so that 20 years later it would manifest, but I digress - I don't think faith belongs in medicine to this extent.

Considering how many women are on the Pill for reasons other than contraception, that was a little judgemental. Does MU prescribe the Pill at all?

For everyone who's saying that he was just sticking to his convictions--I would never work for a company that forced me to do something I didn't believe in--and I doubt most of you wouldn't, either. Luckily, I have been able to have like-minded employers...but if my convictions were so strong about something that would prevent others from getting what they needed, I would try to find an employer who fit in line with those so I wouldn't get in trouble for following my convictions. I'm sure either a strongly Christian pharmacy or a Catholic hospital has swooped him up now.

It's just that people like these men give Christians a bad name.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
Considering how many women are on the Pill for reasons other than contraception, that was a little judgemental. Does MU prescribe the Pill at all?

For everyone who's saying that he was just sticking to his convictions--I would never work for a company that forced me to do something I didn't believe in--and I doubt most of you wouldn't, either. Luckily, I have been able to have like-minded employers...but if my convictions were so strong about something that would prevent others from getting what they needed, I would try to find an employer who fit in line with those so I wouldn't get in trouble for following my convictions. I'm sure either a strongly Christian pharmacy or a Catholic hospital has swooped him up now.

It's just that people like these men give Christians a bad name.

They do prescribe the pill, but it has to be for "alternative medical reasons." Basically, you have to go in and lie to them saying that your cramps are unbearable or something like that. Not all of the doctors will do it, but if you call to make an appointment to discuss something like that, they'll make sure you get a doctor who will. We do have a PP near campus, but it's in a slightly shady area. I can completely understand the school not letting us form VOX because "it conflicts with our Jesuit identity" but I thought that nurse was way out of line.

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
For everyone who's saying that he was just sticking to his convictions--I would never work for a company that forced me to do something I didn't believe in--and I doubt most of you wouldn't, either. Luckily, I have been able to have like-minded employers...but if my convictions were so strong about something that would prevent others from getting what they needed, I would try to find an employer who fit in line with those so I wouldn't get in trouble for following my convictions. I'm sure either a strongly Christian pharmacy or a Catholic hospital has swooped him up now.

Exactly. I'm a vegetarian, so I would never in a million years work for McDonald's. Wouldn't you love it if you went in to order a quarter pounder and found that the person working behind the counter was morally opposed to meat and wouldn't serve you one?

I just wonder how many women have been unable to get the morning after pill because of pharmacists like this. That's awful. This guy had no business working there if he couldn't do his job -- if you feel that your job requires you to do things that you can't do, you should quit as soon as possible.

[rainbowbrightCS]

Well people keep blaming this on a Catholic. I was discussing this with my good friend, Sister Louise. She was outraged about this. She said that she would rather see that lady (who was raped) should be to stop herself from having a baby with the rapist. Becuase if she does conceive, and have the baby she could have mental issues with the child and not take care of the child properly (no on purpose) or if teh child found out that he or she was from a agreesive hate crime that could destroy the child mentaly.

I don't think I could handle knowing that I was concieved from rape.

I use depo pavera for several reasons. I do not feel like a sinner or that I am going to hell. Mine reasons are for medical, and knowing that I can save my little Catholic , Irish eggs untill I am old enough to handle a baby!

Men like this idiot make Christians look stupid!

[James]

I am not sure that you can pick and choose what beliefs are convenient for you, do you think thats a logically consistant approach to a specific oraganized faith?

Originally posted by rainbowbrightCS
Well people keep blaming this on a Catholic. I was discussing this with my good friend, Sister Louise. She was outraged about this. She said that she would rather see that lady (who was raped) should be to stop herself from having a baby with the rapist. Becuase if she does conceive, and have the baby she could have mental issues with the child and not take care of the child properly (no on purpose) or if teh child found out that he or she was from a agreesive hate crime that could destroy the child mentaly.

I don't think I could handle knowing that I was concieved from rape.

I use depo pavera for several reasons. I do not feel like a sinner or that I am going to hell. Mine reasons are for medical, and knowing that I can save my little Catholic , Irish eggs untill I am old enough to handle a baby!

Men like this idiot make Christians look stupid!

[GeekyPenguin]

I don't think anybody is blaming this on a Catholic - Catholic churches would not be called "Denton Bible Church", they'd be "St. So and So" or "Our Lady of Suck and Such" CATHOLIC CHURCH.

This mofo was not Catholic, thankfully.

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by Rudey
They can find or start a pharmacy that supports their beliefs. I'm sure many of the "Christian" hospitals with in-house pharmacy staff would accomodate their beliefs.

This is a valid point. There's a pharmacy in my town that has a big banner over their front door that proudly claims how they don't sell tobacco or smoking-related items (they don't even carry lighters). If these pharmacists had such a strong moral obligation to the MA pill, or any other contraceptives, they should by all means go private, start their own company, and dispense morality along with prescriptions.