Bobby Jindal: Birth control should be over the counter

Washington Examiner ^ | 12/14/2012 | Coronal

[jobim]

What is your opinion of the following statement from an Ortho-McNeil pharmacist?

http://www.aaplog.org/position-and-papers/oral-contraceptive-controversy/birth-control-pill-abortifacient-and-contraceptive/

Randy Alcorn is a Christian minister and researcher who set out to prove that the BCP’s are NOT abortifacient. (Reference on page 2) On pages 29-30 he recalls a conversation with a representative of Ortho-McNeil . “On March 24, 1997, I had a lengthy and enlightening talk with Richard Hill, a pharmacist who works for Ortho-McNeil’s product information department. (Ortho-McNeil is one of the largest Pill Manufacturers.) I took detailed notes.

“Hill was unguarded, helpful and straightforward. He never asked me about my religious views or my beliefs about abortion. He did not couch his language to give me an answer I wanted to hear.

“I asked him, ‘Does the Pill sometimes fail to prevent ovulation?’ He said ‘yes’. I asked, ‘What happens then?’ He said, ‘The cervical mucus slows down the sperm. And if that doesn’t work, if you end up with a fertilized egg, it won’t implant and grow because of the less hospitable endometrium.’

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Every Christian, except for truly faithful Catholics, “

You would be wrong. Many Christians understand that the pill causes abortions and oppose it.

[Persevero]

“Never met a Catholic who didn’t take the pill...Or have their tubes tied OR hubby had a vasectomy. Let’s be truthful about this.”

Of course I have met Catholics who keep their doctrines.

I don’t go so far as to analyze their blood or run an ultrasound, of course, I just take their word for it.

[LibertarianLiz]

Thank you for pointing that out. Both of my girls had to be put on “the pill” because of abnormalities in their cycles. My eldest, because at 16 her cycle was very intermittent, and when it did appear, was very long with heavy flow. My youngest, her menstrual cycle lasted three plus weeks out of 4 monthly. She was very rarely not bleeding. So, she also need cycle control.

[goat granny]

Condoms were mentioned in my first sentence. What about men? If women has self respect the men would be more gentlemanly....lived it and men had more respect for the female and didn’t expect to jump in bed after 2 dates. Girls said NO. Gee, I didn’t think that was difficult to understand and all the states but 1 (I think it was new york) had abortion outlawed. If an out of wedlock baby was born, most were adopted...MY sister adopted 2 as they were unable to have kids....the children didn’t end up in a garbage can.

[Persevero]

“I’m glad to hear of this, as I didn’t know. Are they in any
particular denominations? Do they gather in churches with
like-minded pastors? Or are they just individuals interspersed
among many congregations who hold to that personal practice?
And do they do it because of the abortion-murder possibility,
or some other reasons? Thanks in advance for informing me. “

They are pro-life, and realize that the Pill and IUD are, at least sometimes, abortifacient.

Sadly some women who really are pro-life don’t know this. I discovered this when counseling at a CPC for years. Pro-Life Christian women would tell me they were on the pill or had an IUD! So I’d say, you do know how they work, right? The women sadly were under the impression that they just prevented conception.

As to where you find these women: in conservative Protestant denominations. I doubt I could come up with an exhaustive list, but pretty much the reformed denominations like Presbyterian Church in America, Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Orthodox Presbyterian Church - I’d say also Southern Baptist, Orthodox Methodist, and fundamentalist congregations. I am sure I missed about 100 of them, but basically, those that are Bible believing and conservative.

Certainly I also believe you’d find such women in conservative Roman Catholic households as well.

[goat granny]

Condoms were mentioned in my first sentence. What about men? If women has self respect the men would be more gentlemanly....lived it and men had more respect for the female and didn’t expect to jump in bed after 2 dates. Girls said NO. Gee, I didn’t think that was difficult to understand and all the states but 1 (I think it was new york) had abortion outlawed. If an out of wedlock baby was born, most were adopted...MY sister adopted 2 as they were unable to have kids....the children didn’t end up in a garbage can.

[Sacajaweau]

There are not a lot of dangerous side effects. Stop printing lies.

[DallasSun]

I disagree that the fault lies with the women rather than equally with the men. Regardless, birth control is no one’s business. Everyone can decide for themselves. It is especially not the business of politicians.

[DallasSun]

There are not alot of serious side effects. I do not think I know anyone who does not or did not use birth control. They..along with myself..had no side effects.

[Responsibility2nd]

My wife suffered from Endometriosis. Whe was on the pill from about age 15.

Had a hysterectomy in her mid 30’s. What a nightmare that was.

[Texas Songwriter]

Beside adverse effects such as deep vein thrombosis, vaginal bleeding, stroke, femenization (in some), masculinization (in other estrogen/progesterone formulae), myocardial infarction, and many other potential adverse effects, there are also contraindications,...meaning certain situations require that those drugs not be taken. These hormones should not be OTC. Jindal is simply trying to appeal to a broader base, especially those of Ms.Fluke. Shame on him.

[DallasSun]

The same thing happened to me. I had to have a hysterectomy when I was 32. Luckily, my husband and I had been blessed with our daughter and there were no complications from the surgery.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"The Catholic Church is against birth control because it decreases the numbers of Catholics. The church is not opposed to the temp method which is by any other name....BIRTH CONTROL. "

Your argument is self-contradictory, Sacajaweau. If some church were just interested in maximizing their numbers, they would ban NFP and celibacy (abstinence), both of which very effectivly prevent pregnancy.

However, they are not contraception per se. Contraception is engaging in a sexual act which has been deliberately altered in some way to sabotage its natural fertility. Pills, patches, implants, injected drugs, devices and surgeries that intentionally disable natural sexual function are contraceptive methods. NFP and abstinence don't disable anything or anybody.

[CharlesWayneCT]

You are correct; almost every sexually active woman has used a form of birth control, but that doesn’t mean they continue to do so constantly; and the bill is the most often used, but it isn’t the majority. Sterilization is a close second, but note that you do that once, while each year there could be a different set of women taking the pill.

About 10 million women are on the pill at any particular point in time.

And of those, about 1.4 million do so for medical reasons unrelated to contraception.

[Lizavetta]

I don't know which pill does which, but my understanding of the Pill is that it prevents the woman from even releasing her monthly egg.

So there is no egg released, no fertilized egg that doesn't attach, no death of an embryo.

[kabumpo]

There are terrible, terrible side effects. A friend of mine died. I had to be hospitalized. It was a horrifying experience.

[kabumpo]

There are terrible, terrible side effects. A friend of mine died. I had to be hospitalized. It was a horrifying experience.

[DallasSun]

You are correct. Birth control pills prevent ovulation.

[DallasSun]

I am sorry about your friend. But I doubt her death was caused by birth control pills. Everyone I have known has been on birth control pills. They had no side effects. They prevent ovulation. One does not die from that.