I can't help but share this exciting news with you Workerettes. According to this AP report over at Yahoo! News, Roman Catholic bishops have agreed that the personnel at Catholic hospitals may now provide the Plan B (or "morning after") pill to rape victims seeking care in their facilities. The decision comes mere days before a new Connecticut law takes effect requiring access to the medication for rape victims.
If taken within 72 hours of unwanted sex the medication may lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89%. The Plan B medication is a high dose of a drug normally found in regular birth control pills. It works by suppressing ovulation. It does not affect an existing pregnancy, thus the urgency to take Plan B within such a short window of time.
Just last night I saw an ad for Plan B, which is now available over-the-counter for women over the age of 18. The ad, in Glamour magazine, included a postcard so that women can request information about Plan B or request the medication itself anonymously and with less stress by simply handing the card to a pharmacist or pharmacy worker.
While I, like many, personally have my concerns that the "morning after" pill could be abused just like abortions could be, I am incredibly happy about this decision to allow rape victims who seek assistance in Catholic hospitals access to Plan B. No rape survivor should be forced to seek help elsewhere, possibly missing the important 72-hour mark after a sexual assault and forcing her to make life or death decision for a fetus at a later date. As a woman, and as a mother of girls, I would much rather the option be available and left unused than see a woman or girl forced to deal with even more physical, mental, and emotional repurcusions for years after a rape than she would already have to bear. I realize the Catholic bishops may not hear this, but I'd like to thank them. Whether the decision was based on legal pressure or just out of final agreement, either way, they are helping to protect women in one more way.
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