Women need allies

I read with great relief the front-page story about the Court of Appeals ruling that pharmacists can’t refuse to fill prescriptions just because they personally find the medication objectionable. Many people have been denied their prescriptions in the U.S. and the majority of those have been women.

Access to Plan B is just one of the challenges facing women seeking health care in this country. Right now members of Congress are working on health care reform. And I’m crossing my fingers that women’s health care, including reproductive health care and family planning, don’t get kicked to the curb in a rush to placate a few, shrill voices.

Family planning services are central to protecting women’s health and well-being. Access to birth control allows women to plan, space or prevent pregnancy. But family planning health care providers do so much more, like cervical and breast cancer screening, annual exams, infection checks and treatment.

Women can’t be worse off after health care reform than they are today. Please join me and tell Washington’s senators and representatives that we must ensure direct, confidential access to women’s health care providers as an essential part of health care reform.

Cynthia Fine

Spokane