Wednesday, April 18, 2001
Birth control
Pharmacist provokes reaction
A pharmacist's dilemma has readers taking sides over the ethics of birth-control pills.
Some say Robert Hay is right to agonize over the pill's potential for causing abortions. Partly for this reason — and partly because he doesn't believe in public funding for the “lifestyle choice” of premarital sex — Mr. Hay wants birth-control pills banned from public health clinics in Northern Kentucky. He's pushing for such a ban as a board member of the public health district, yet he regularly dispenses the same pills as a Walgreens pharmacist.
A recent column explored his conflict. Some readers criticized Mr. Hay for interfering with women's choices. Others applauded his scruples.
“These pills are abortifacient and my hat is off to everybody who refuses to cooperate with them.”
Grace Hogan, Pleasant Ridge
“Has it occurred to Mr. Hay that when he refuses to dispense a birth control pill, he is risking causing abortions? Abortions don't take place in the absence of unplanned pregnancies, and when he denies a woman the opportunity to practice responsible sex .... Well, you see where I am going.”
Sue Ransohoff, Cincinnati
Proper option?
In the column, I described birth control pills as a legal, effective way to prevent pregnancy. Those who would deny women this option should think twice about a pharmacy career, I said.
“In order to help you realize how this statement rankles those who disagree with you, place yourself in the mid-1950s. Now imagine your reaction to a columnist who wrote, "Jim Crow rules are a legal, effective way to prevent blacks from patronizing your restaurant.'
“Mr. Hay's conundrum is that he appreciates, professionally and morally, the seriousness of the abortifacient risk.”
Keith Bower, Bridgetown
“A caring/loving relationship and abstinence is a legal and effective way to prevent pregnancy.”
Elizabeth Beckmeyer, Whitewater Township
“We are very concerned about the effort to deny contraception to women seeking health care in public clinics. ... women seeking birth control methods are making moral decisions to prevent unintended pregnancy — and therefore reduce the need for abortions.”
Sue Momeyer, chief executive officer,
Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky
Other uses
Several readers pointed out that birth-control pills aren't always prescribed for prevention of pregnancy.
“The last couple of years, I've had a lot of problems with my period. My gynecologist two years ago put me on a very low dose of birth control pills, and it solved my problem.”
Janice Wilkins, Montgomery
“Some women use birth control solely to maintain their regular cycles. If my pharmacist refused to give those to me for that reason I would definitely go to a different business.
“I'd like to think the pharmacist would make it his business to understand the full scope of the uses of oral contraceptives (such as for maintaining regular cycles), and that he would understand that in order to separate the medical need from the desires of the flesh, he would really be invading the privacy of the customers.”
Ramona Campbell, Cincinnati
Karen Samples can be reached at (859) 578-5584 or ksamples@enquirer.com.
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