We’ve asked Howe if he can tell us how many women have requested birth control for health reasons, and how many of those requests are approved. If he’s able to respond, we’ll update the story accordingly.
Meghan Smith, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit reproductive-rights group Catholics for Choice, says that “medical condition” policies like Fordham’s don’t work. “Unfortunately, whenever these limited kinds of exceptions are allowed it can lead to confusion,” she says.
Smith points to Georgetown University, where law student and activist Sandra Fluke highlighted the challenges faced by students with endometriosis or PCOS. Addressing a Democratic congressional panel, Fluke said students were being refused coverage for hormonal birth control by the Catholic school’s insurance provider, or being interrogated about whether they were lying about their symptoms so that they could prevent pregnancy.
‘”Carve-outs can be well-intentioned,” Smith says, “but when it comes to the reality of people’s lives, they need to make decisions regardless of their circumstances or situation.”
Article Appeared @http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/10/fordham_university_women_birth_control_pill_policy.php