# Disgusting tale of woman's unsucessful search for emergency contraception **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 26, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272 "2006-09-26T21:58:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/21 "2006-09-26T23:34:31Z")
I smell bullshit also. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/22 "2006-09-26T23:40:26Z")
[QUOTE=threemae] Apparently this isn’t the only time that she has received medical care straining credibility: > **[Sign in - Google Accounts](https://accounts.google.com/v3/signin/identifier?continue=https:%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogin?u%3Dhttp:%2F%2Fbitingbeaver.blogspot.com%2F2005%2F09%2Fpower-of-penis.html&followup=https:%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogin?u%3Dhttp:%2F%2Fbitingbeaver.blogspot.com%2F2005%2F09%2Fpower-of-penis.html&passive=1209600&flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin&dsh=S-1307288667:1790585123763797)** [/QUOTE] Perhaps it speaks of the quality of care in my area that I don’t find this one bit unbelievable. When I was fourteen, I went to the emergency room with incredible abdominal pain. I thought I might have toxic shock syndrome because I was vomiting and had diarrhea. After a cursory discussion with the doctor, he decided that I probably had food posioning and sent me home. When the same thing happened my next period, I went to a series of doctors trying to find out what was wrong. One of them told me it was “all in your head.” Two of them told me I’d just have to learn to live with “a little discomfort.” (This, after I told them that I \*vomited \*from the pain.) Finally, I met with a doctor who told me I probably had endometriosis. He told me that it would go away as soon as I had a baby. (_Dude, I’m fourteen!)_ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/23 "2006-09-26T23:42:17Z")
What part of “Ohio” don’t you understand? ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/24 "2006-09-26T23:43:15Z")
Ahahahahahahaha. And all you women got to thinking you were people, human beings, persons with some right to respect and control over your own bodies. Ahahaha. Not until you have the power to _shove it down some dickhead’s throat_, ladies. I wish it were otherwise, but I strongly believe that I am right on that score. And I’m on _your_ side, for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/25 "2006-09-27T00:16:45Z")
I don’t know why you all find the story so unthinkable. From everything I know personally, and from what my wife has told me, none of this is surprising. There are only eight counties in this entire state where you can get an abortion, and that’s only because of some very determined activists. ER Doctors are under no such obligation to care. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/26 "2006-09-27T00:25:09Z")
Huh. I had absolutely no trouble getting it when I needed it. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/27 "2006-09-27T00:26:38Z")
Becuase almost anywhere in Ohio you are within 100 miles of a major city. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/28 "2006-09-27T00:30:36Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Becuase almost anywhere in Ohio you are within 100 miles of a major city. [/QUOTE] And living in a big city magically wards away mysogonisticly archaic doctors who put their own outdated (not to mention illogical and unscientific) ideas and the practice of their own questionable morals ahead of patient care? Wow, and some people around here ridicule people who call on Magical Pink Sky Pixies. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/29 "2006-09-27T00:41:24Z")
Stories like this are why I will never willingly live anywhere except within commuting distance of the most liberal large cities in the country. People in major cities do tend to be more liberal than people in small towns or rural areas. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/30 "2006-09-27T00:42:57Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Becuase almost anywhere in Ohio you are within 100 miles of a major city. [/QUOTE] And every woman has the means to travel 100 miles at a moment’s notice. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/31 "2006-09-27T00:46:51Z")
Wow, you two are dumbasses. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/32 "2006-09-27T01:00:29Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] And every woman has the means to travel 100 miles at a moment’s notice. :dubious: [/QUOTE] Not to undermine you or anything, **Guin** , but I think **treis** was using that \<100mi factoid to suggest that it casts doubt upon the accuracy of the blogger’s claim to not be within 100 miles of a place where she could get her EC on a weekend. It looked to me as though your response was intended to address a different implication altogether. Me, I don’t have any experience with Ohio geography, and no way to gauge for myself the plausibility of her assertions. I’m in the default position of taking them at face value. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/33 "2006-09-27T01:18:18Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] [Here’s the story of a woman who had an abortion because a doctor wouldn’t prescribe emergency contraception for her.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201405.html) To all doctors who refuse to prescribe emergency contraception: Fuck you. To any doctor to whom it would make a difference if a woman was married or not: Fuck you with a rusty chainsaw, sideways. [/QUOTE] Yes I remember this story, thanks for linking it. This is a perfect and equally-disturbing example of how hard it is to get EC; and this story takes place in the DC area, no rural Ohio. A married 42-year-old woman with two elementary school age kids can’t get EC, and is forced to have an abortion… This sums it up nicely: > [@](#): > > All the while, I was thinking that if religion hadn’t been allowed to seep into American politics the way it has, I wouldn’t even be there. This all could have been stopped way before this baby was conceived if they had just let me have that damn pill. Note to self: when deciding on a doctor, make sure to ask them if they will prescribe EC before putting them down as your primary care physician… ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/34 "2006-09-27T01:24:30Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] [Here’s the story of a woman who had an abortion because a doctor wouldn’t prescribe emergency contraception for her.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201405.html) To all doctors who refuse to prescribe emergency contraception: Fuck you. To any doctor to whom it would make a difference if a woman was married or not: Fuck you with a rusty chainsaw, sideways. [/QUOTE] Christ whatever happened to personal responsibility? They failed to use birth control, and contacted a grand total of 2 doctors in their search for Plan B, and it’s Bush’s fault she got pregnant. Give me a break. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/35 "2006-09-27T01:24:45Z")
[QUOTE=nyctea scandiaca] Note to self: when deciding on a doctor, make sure to ask them if they will prescribe EC before putting them down as your primary care physician… [/QUOTE] Glad you mentioned this. I do believe I’ll be bringing this question up to my relatively new doctor the next time I have an appointment. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/36 "2006-09-27T01:40:13Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Christ whatever happened to personal responsibility? They failed to use birth control, and contacted a grand total of 2 doctors in their search for Plan B, and it’s Bush’s fault she got pregnant. Give me a break. [/QUOTE] And for those who do use birth control only to have it fail on them? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/37 "2006-09-27T01:43:02Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Christ whatever happened to personal responsibility? They failed to use birth control, and contacted a grand total of 2 doctors in their search for Plan B, and it’s Bush’s fault she got pregnant. Give me a break. [/QUOTE] Did you even read the blog??? She **did** use birth control. It **failed**. Then… > [@](#): > > I called every hospital in every surrounding county and none of them would prescribe me EC. Not even ONE. > > I was told by every urgent care I called and every emergency room that I was shit out of luck. She called every hospital and urgent care place in her surrounding areas. She **WAS** being responsible. The problem here is that due to backward and archaic religious zealots, she was denied _basic health care_ by doctors who swear to help and heal. Time is of the essence with EC. Why should a woman have to travel 100 miles to get basic care? Why should a woman have to wait for weekdays between the hours of 9 to 5 to get emergency care? This stuff should be easier to get! It’s **emergency** contraception afterall… It’s not like it’s a drug that addicts are trying to get their hands on to get high. There is no danger or potential for abuse here. I can understand that medications like Oxycontin and narcotics should be strictly controlled… but restricting EC so tighly really limits women’s reproductive freedoms. It’s scary!! Basically the zealots think that making EC accessible to women condones or promotes having sex for purposes other than strict reproduction. Shame on any woman who engages in sex for pleasure! \ She deserves whatever is coming to her! It’s THAT attitude that is at the heart of this issue. Which is very very scary to think that people still think that way in this day and age. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/38 "2006-09-27T01:47:47Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] And for those who do use birth control only to have it fail on them? [/QUOTE] And not to mention that some people consider getting an abortion to be taking responsibility. Even more so if it is in the case of failed contraception, although no one should subject another person to not having the best possible circumstances they can provide within which to grow up in. If your future momma doesn’t think this whole thing would be a good idea for those involved (namely said child), than I certainly believe that qualifies. Because, ya know, a child should be a hell of a lot more than that a ‘responsibility’. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/39 "2006-09-27T01:47:53Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] And for those who do use birth control only to have it fail on them? [/QUOTE] Call more than 2 doctors? **nyctea scandiaca** , why don’t you take another gander at my post and see who/what I was responding to. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272/40 "2006-09-27T01:55:52Z")
**treis:** Ooops, sorry, you were talking about the woman in the Post article… What she was trying to say is that it’s the attitude of people _like_ Bush… these fundamentalist types who think their archaic religious beliefs give them the right to restrict our reproductive freedom. Her point was, if EC was more easily accessible, she would have been able to get it when she needed it. And then she wouldn’t have had to have an abortion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-tale-of-womans-unsucessful-search-for-emergency-contraception/374272.md?page=3)