Military to Make Plan B Available in All Treatment Facilities

by Brandann Hill-Mann · 2010-02-09 12:03:00 UTC
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A huge victory has been won for women in uniform, and I don't mind saying that a wash of relief and satisfaction washed over me when I read the headlines.

The military is implementing the recommendation of the Pentagon's Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, an advisory panel made up of medical professionals from the military services, that Plan B (the brand name for levonorgestrel, a.k.a. the "Morning After" pill) be made available in every military treatment facility.

Until now, the over-the-counter medication has been available in many, but not all, military pharmacies. Since it hadn't been made mandatory in TRICARE formularies, a servicewoman wasn't guaranteed access to emergency contraception. This has been a major issue for equality for women in the military, especially with Upper Brass making slanted policies that impact women soldiers' careers while being dismissive of the need for such medications.

This has been a champion cause of mine, for a long time. Normally I write with a feeling of grinding against an almost immovable wall, or as a role model of mine says, moving an ocean with a teaspoon. Today I write with great pride in my heart that this stride forward has been made for women in uniform.

While this is a moment of celebration, we cannot let up. We must press forward, and remind Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and other top leaders, that the victory needs to be solidified, so we don't lose this ground. Women in uniform need access to emergency contraception to ensure that when life takes unexpected turns, they still hold their options in their own hands. The military needs to take steps to ensure that each and every women has this option secured.

Photo credit: *mb**

Brandann Hill-Mann is a proggy-liberal, Native American, feminist, invisibly disabled, U.S. Navy Veteran currently living in South Korea on Uncle Sam's dime. She blogs at random babble... and FWD/Forward.
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