The Obama administration rescinded most of a federal regulation Friday designed to protect health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable on personal or religious grounds.
The Health and Human Services Department eliminated nearly the entire rule put into effect by the administration of President George W. Bush during his final days in office that was widely interpreted as allowing such workers to opt out of a broad range of medical services, such as providing the emergency contraceptive Plan B, treating gay men and lesbians and prescribing birth control to single women.
When I was 13 years old, I had some problems with a hormonal imbalance that meant my menstrual cycle was heavy and didn't stop once it started. This got so serious that I was hospitalized for blood transfusions and a D & C. Going forward, I was put on "the pill" to regulate my cycle.
I don't know if there were any alternatives to taking the pill that were available at the time. But when I heard about these Bush administration regulations, I wondered what would have happened to me if my doctor had refused to prescribe it or pharmacists had refused to fill the prescription. After all...I was a 13 year old taking birth control.
I'm grateful I never had to find out. And now I'm grateful that no other 13 year old has to get caught up in these ridiculous right wing attempts to control women's bodies and health. Thank you Obama administration!
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