In the media yesterday it was reported that another pharmacy, this one located in Virginia, is refusing to refill birth control, regardless of prescription.  Interestingly enough, in Virginia the pharmacists has the right to turn away anyone, or any prescription.  This may bring up some future problems for Virginian pharmacists or other states that adapt a policy similar to this, allowing the pharmacist make a decision on YOUR life.  For example, a pharmacist who says, “No, I can’t prescribe estrogen for your sexual reassignment surgery because it interferes with god’s creation of men and women,”  or “No, I can’t prescribe you Viagra because you will use it for abominable gay sex,” or “No, I can’t treat your vaginal infection because then you will go have sex—and since you are not married, you shouldn’t be doing that,” or “Can I please see your marriage license before you buy those condoms,” or No, I won’t prescribe you Prozac because it will make it harder for you to ejaculate and in turn limit your family size,” or “No, I can’t prescribe you testosterone because you are a woman and it will increase you desire and you will want more sex.”   Even beyond the pharmacy, what if a high school counselor or teacher decides not to help a girl get into MIT because girls shouldn’t be in this field.  So where does the pharmacists refusal to fill prescriptions stop?  It is just for birth control?  Is this a segway into other drugs that pharmacists may have an objection to?  I think the scary thing here is we are starting to loose some of our person rights for ourselves to choose what is best for OUR body.  Pharmacists can still exercise their rights and personal views but choosing not to take what they may have a moral objection to but when these people start making decisions for ourselves, they are impeding on OUR right of freedom to choose.     

Both New Jersey and New York along with five other states ensure that all women, especially rape victims have access to birth control.

 A patient was commenting how much better she was feeling… more desirous, more desiring, more easily turned on. “But I just don’t feel like I used to when I was a teenager” she bemoaned. When pressed she couldn’t seem to come up with a better description of what was missing. A bit later, during our appointment we were recommending that maybe every morning she spend a minute or two reading erotica to get herself turned on and her thoughts turned to sex. “Oh no.” She said… “I don’t let myself get turned on unless I can ‘do something with it.”  I suggested that maybe  walking around turned on without “doing something with it” could be fun and sexy and get you more in the mood. Suddenly a light bulb went off in her head. “Maybe that’s what I’ve been missing!! I used to walk around turned on all the time…” hmm… maybe we’ve all gotten a bit too goal oriented and lost some of the fun of the “process” in the process!

So here’s a fun new read about the state of sexual activity in America: America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction, by Brian Alexander who is a columnist at MSNBC.com.

The book explores what “the average” (what’s that?) American is doing in their bedroom… and in the bathroom… and on airplanes… and on beaches… It’s a fun read, although he paints a picture of a wild and wanton world. I haven’t exactly gotten to his ultimate point yet, although he suggests that all the rhetoric on family values belies the reality of what’s actually happening. Anyhow, it certainly gives a window into some of what’s happening and he’s such a fun writer that it will fill up a few cozy evenings. Enjoy.