Appearing before Planned Parenthood’s annual convention last Friday, President Obama pledged his continuing support for women’s reproductive rights. In a speech before the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, Mr. Obama promised to keep science a sphere “not subject to politics” or “skewed by an agenda.”
On Wednesday, his administration betrayed both reproductive rights and science. The Justice Department announced that it would appeal a federal court ruling that would make morning-after pills available without a prescription for girls and women of all ages.
The administration’s continued stubbornness may please some conservative groups critical of the president. But it will hurt girls and women and is bound to undermine Mr. Obama’s credibility when he calls for principled, evidence-based policy-making on other issues, like global warming.
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From the New York Times Editorial Board today.
I, too, am deeply disappointed in President Obama’s administration today.
The President has again and again vowed to restore scientific evidence to its rightful place in guiding public policy.
Here’s what the medical/scientific experts say on access to Plan B:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College) and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) oppose the U.S. Department of Justice’s May 1 decision to appeal a recent U.S. District Court ruling requiring that emergency contraception products be made available over-the-counter without age restriction. The medical organizations stand behind their support of the Court’s ruling, citing strong scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of emergency contraception for all women of reproductive age.
(via sciencedeniers)