Men Denied Emergency Contraception by Walgreens

Most of us know the horror stories about activist pharmacists, who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions or hand out emergency contraception to women. But I think Walgreens pharmacies in Texas and Mississippi may have set a new precedent by refusing to sell over-the-counter emergency contraceptives to men.

While it isn't all that common to hear stories about men buying EC for the women in their lives, maybe it should be. After all, a couple that shares responsibility for their healthy, protected sex life would naturally include two partners who are interested in preventing unwanted pregnancy and STI transmission. The FDA has also specifically approved the sale of EC to both men and women, age 17 and older, meaning there should be no gender discrimination of any kind on this one. When something unexpected happens — the condom breaks, or worse, sexual assault — the last thing anyone wants to battle is a uncooperative, resistant pharmacist behind the counter at their local Walgreens. Time is of the essence in these situations; the effectiveness of pills like Plan B decreases every 12 hours that pass from the time a woman realizes she may need it. In other words, there's a reason it's used in emergencies.

The ACLU has condemned the Walgreens stores, and Walgreens headquarters issued a statement to all of their locations stating that men need not be accompanied by a female when making their purchase, a policy which adheres to FDA guidelines. This really goes beyond even basic reproductive rights; this is a consumer rights issue to boot. When people with no authority to make these kinds of life-altering decisions wield their power in abusive ways, we have to stand up and say "no more." The ACLU is currently investigating another chain of pharmacies for similar reasons, but let's hope they don't find more of the same.

Photo Credit: Stephen Cummings