What’s worse than being a victim of one of the 2,688 “reported sexual assaults involving military personnel” in 2007? How about not being able to access emergency contraception following your assault?

Last week, a federal judge required that pharmacies offer emergency contraception over-the-counter to 17-year-olds (previously, it was only available to women 18 and up, with identification). Reproductive Health Reality Check reminds us that there’s still a whole sector of adult women who may not be able to access the morning-after pill: Servicewomen. Writes Nancy Northup:

Read More “Military Bases Still Not Required to Stock Emergency Contraception” »

A judge has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to allow the sale of emergency contraception—also known as “Plan B” or “The Morning After Pill”—to 17-year-olds. Previously, the emergency pill was offered over-the-counter only to customers aged 18 and older, and only to pharmacies that enforced the age rule by checking IDs.

U.S. District Judge Edward Korman had some harsh words for the Bush-run FDA in laying down his judgment, the Associated Press reports:

Read More “Morning After Pill Now Available to 17-Year-Olds” »

Bristol Palin appeared on Greta Van Susteren’s show last night, and Van Susteren actually asked her if she was “lazy about or not interested in” contraception. Palin replied, “I don’t want to get into detail about that,” which probably means, “The condom broke, and you can’t buy emergency contraception from the Wasilla pharmacist if you’re the teenage daughter of the Alaskan governor who doesn’t even support emergency contraception for victims of rape, or yeah, maybe I’m just fucking lazy, Greta.”

She also says abstinence doesn’t work, which is pretty awesome.

The full transcript after the jump.

Read More “A Palin Denies Abstinence Works” »

Two Illinois pharmacists who refuse to provide emergency contraception will defend their right of denial in Illinois Supreme Court. The pharmacists, Luke Vander Bleek and Glen Kosirog, see themselves as conscientious objectors to some guy called Governor Rod Blagojevich’s 2005 executive order requiring pharmacists to dispense contraception.

Their reasoning? “Deeply held religious convictions” coupled with the belief “that the drug can act as an abortion-causing agent.”

I’m interested to see how this pans out, especially in light of Bush’s “conscience” rule, which was finalized yesterday. Illinois’ ACLU reproductive rights project director Lorie Chaiten characterizes the conflict as between “the right to free exercise of religion and the right to access reproductive health care.”

Well, if Vander Bleek and Kosirog lose, they can always open up a pharmacy in Washington, D.C.