Guest Post by Morbo
A woman identified only as “Dana L.” wrote an interesting Washington Post opinion piece recently about her inability to secure “[tag]Plan B[/tag]” contraceptive pills and the unfortunate consequences that spawned.
This woman, 42, became pregnant after unprotected intercourse with her husband. She admits this wasn’t the smartest thing to do, since neither one of them wanted another child, but the ending to her story is sad: unable to secure the pills after her doctor refused to prescribe them, she underwent an abortion.
Dana L. not only shared her story with Post readers, she appeared on a live chat on the newspaper’s Web site, where she was attacked by several opponents of legal [tag]abortion[/tag]. Even some people who called themselves “pro-choice” labeled her irresponsible.
Dana L.’s critics missed the point. Yes, she and her husband did a foolish thing — but people make mistakes. Dana L. sought to rectify that error by getting “morning after” pills and thus negating the need for an abortion. She could not do so, thanks to meddling by religious fanatics. Ironically, the very same religious fanatics who so hate legal abortion left her with only one option: abortion.
All of this got me thinking about the future of reproductive choice in America. It does not look rosy. The days of legal abortion are probably numbered, especially if President George W. Bush has the opportunity to name another Supreme Court appointment. At the same time, the religious right is stepping up its opposition to artificial forms of birth control and meddling in our sex lives in unprecedented ways.
What are we to do? I believe the answer in part lies in men stepping up to the plate and taking more control over birth control.
You may have noticed that the New Puritanism focuses almost exclusively on procedures and medical devices used by women. Abortion rights are curbed. Plan B is made unavailable. Pharmacists are given a right not to fill prescriptions for [tag]birth-control[/tag] pills. IUDs are labeled “abortifacients.”
Men do have a handful of options when it comes to birth control: self-discipline (please); condoms (highly effective if used properly) and the granddaddy of them all, [tag]vasectomy[/tag].
Consider the final option and how it is treated by society. To the religious right, every sperm is sacred — yet I can’t recall the last time I heard of a plan to restrict access to or deny vasectomies to men. The recent (and frightening) New York Times Magazine article on the growing religious right opposition to artificial birth control did not mention any anti-vasectomy campaigns. No lawmaker presses for an “informed consent” bill or sponsors legislation requiring men to watch biased videos about the dangers of vasectomies. There are no state-mandated waiting periods to get one.
If anything, the procedure is encouraged. Insurance companies don’t cover abortion, and some won’t pay for birth control pills. They usually cover vasectomies fully. I’ve yet to hear of a doctor refusing to perform one on the grounds of conscience. After all, doctors get big checks from insurance companies every time they perform the operation.
Obviously a vasectomy is not the right solution for every man. If you’re in your 20s and sexually active and don’t want kids now but do later, stick to condoms. But if your child-rearing years are done (or you’re sure you never want kids), consider going under the knife. It’s time for men to stop thinking of birth control as a woman’s responsibility. Men have the power to undergo the ultimate form of birth control — one that is out of reach of religious zealots. They should use it.
In this day and age, getting a vasectomy is more than just a sensible health decision. It’s almost a revolutionary act.