« Christian Youth Being Indoctrinated to Kill Infidels | Main | Everything is On the Rise in Iraq »

May 31, 2006

Choosing women's health over sexual politics

Every once in a while our paper of record here in Oregon hits one out of the park. This editorial on the craven political pandering by the Food and Drug Administration looks like a dinger over the Green Monster:

The Food and Drug Administration knows it could prevent scores of unintended pregnancies and devastating abortions by approving emergency contraception for over-the-counter sale. It hasn't, despite the best available medical advice, because of pressure from conservative religious groups.

This decision to value sexual politics over women's health has damaged the reputation of this federal agency. More important, it has needlessly hurt women and their families. Next month, the FDA has a chance to mend some of the damage by approving a new vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

The idea of vaccinating young girls against a sexually transmitted disease causes discomfort among some of the same groups that oppose contraception. But the chance to prevent cancer is too powerful and extraordinary to deny.

I've always said that the "abortion" debate from the so-called "pro-life" crowd was never about ending fetuses. Not really. Its about controlling the choices women have over their bodies and lives.

The fact that these conservative religious organizations would put the lives of women at risk because the disease they may contract is sexually transmitted is antithetical to anything resembling pro-life. Its what I've always said it is: ANTI-CHOICE.

The O sums it up nicely:

A cervical cancer vaccine will mark an important landmark for women's health. But as long as the FDA, against medical advice, keeps emergency contraception behind a hurdle, it will send a signal that politics matters more to this administration than health.

Which would put the FDA pretty much on track with the rest of the Executive Branch under President Bush.

Posted by Carla at May 31, 2006 07:35 AM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.preemptivekarma.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1426