Bobby Jindal: Sell Birth Control Pills Over the Counter

The conservative Louisiana governor says it will end 'birth control politics'

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is calling for birth control pills to be sold over the counter at drugstores, a move he said would take the issue out of the political arena where it has hurt Republicans.

"As a conservative Republican, I believe that we have been stupid to let the Democrats demagogue the contraceptives issue and pretend, during debates about health-care insurance, that Republicans are somehow against birth control," Jindal wrote in an editorial in today's Wall Street Journal. "It's a disingenuous political argument they make."

Republican lawmakers argued against employers with religious objections having to cover birth control in insurance plans for employees during debates over Obamacare last year. The issue helped give Democrats an edge in appealing to women voters in the 2012 election.

Making birth control pills available to women over the counter at drugstores is an idea endorsed recently by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Currently, a doctor's prescription is required.

Jindal, who is a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said selling oral contraception over the counter would bring about the "end of birth-control politics."

Via the Wall Street Journal

Do you think birth control pills should be sold over the counter?

[DARSB]

"we have been stupid to let the Democrats demagogue the contraceptives issue" - Rush Limbaugh is a Democrat?

[johnCrow]

ha i didn't think of that, i care as much what rush limbaugh thinks of anything as i do about i'm all for anything that takes the focus off regulating genitals so we can get some real problems solved for a change.

[johnCrow]

@johnCrow you hit post too fast dummy, simply put i care very little what rush limbaugh has to say about anything, he is nothing more than the conservative howard stern. i lost the speck of respect i had for him when he demonized drug users while crunching down opiate after opiate.

[gregorytoye]

@johnCrow birth control lookin at the picture of that guy is all it take holy hell hes ugly i hope he dont look like that all the tim and oh yea rush limbaugh is an idiot point his blank exspression period blood on his thoughts views and stances i cant stand that guy

[crusader]

Sandra Fluke is a democrat. One who claims she can not afford $12.00 a month for the prescription cost.

[jessejaymes]

Sandra Fluke is now an Attorney. And a famous one. I suspect she can afford birth control although being Lesbian I doubt she needs it. The point that she's trying to make and (which I don't necessarily agree with) is that some college student females cannot afford birth control and should get them through their health care. I wonder how people can afford 150,000.00 education but not birth control but that's just me. Selling BC over the counter would greatly improve sales and bring the expense down to around 5.00 a month is my guess and I support that. More birth control = less abortions and that's a good thing.

[kirbstomp1]

@jessejaymes - well college may cost 150,000 but between grants, scholarships, and financial aid, will not only pay for tuition, books, and extra fees. It will also pay for your living, food, and other expenses. You just gotta pay back the financial aid, but everything else was free. Im just a college student and have to do all my financial stuff.

[Fishbone345]

@jessejaymes Fluke isn't a lesbian. She's engaged to Adam Mutterperl.
Unless you were being sarcastic and I didn't get it, then disregard.
Text is a hard medium to convey sarcasm in.

[jessejaymes]

@Fishbone345 I don't where I got that. I was not being sarcastic I actually thought she was. Not my business either way, I was just trying to make the point that everything some people do is not just for themselves. If I'm in error then maybe the moderator could remove my erroneous statement.

[jessejaymes]

@kirbstomp1 Mr. President I do understand where you're coming from. If I had to go to college today I couldn't do it. When I went back in the day in California, residents had to pay no more than 50.00 a course. Boy those were the days huh? I understand the situation you're speaking to but I think most of that would be solved by selling BC over the counter. I know I sure would rather subsidize 60.00 a year for poor women than I would to pay for a welfare kid until age 18.

[PNWest]

Looks like Bobby Jindal is trying to compete with Chris Christie for the sane GOP primary voters in 2016.

[PayThatCEO]

It's about time some of them start demonstrating a modicum of common sense. Maybe they got the message that over-the-top conservatism isn't a way to win friends and influence people.

[PNWest]

@PayThatCEO I'm not too worried about that. It's rarer to find a conservative with common sense than a Romney in a military uniform.

[woodtick57]

he's definitely starting his presidential run hard.

Maybe he should come right out and say it honestly..."get me out of LA..please!"

[jessejaymes]

Bobby Jindal seems like a man who has a little common sense.

[Food4thoughts]

GOP looking better and better everyday...Pavlov would be grinning ear to ear.

[RobertJHarsh]

I voted yes, but not because this outsourced RINO governor. He doesn't believe a word he said and once/if the GOP becomes the majority again he'll change his tune quick. Jindal gets his orders every morning just like Kasich does. Jindal also likes to be in the news but a Donald Trump, he is not.

[Dan_Tien]

Decisions regarding medications should be made by physicians, not politicians.

[Thunderchicken]

I think I agree in principle, but wouldn’t that mean that everything would require a prescription? Or are you meaning that docs should decide what would be available over the counter?

[Fishbone345]

@Thunderchicken I'm pretty sure they would be involved at some point. Else lawsuits would be following.

[Thunderchicken]

@Fishbone345

Yeah but at what point? I'm all in favor of expanding OTC drugs. I don't think a responsible person should need a prescription for Vicoden and the like.

[Dan_Tien]

@Thunderchicken I mean that physicians should determine whether medicine is safe enough to be available over the counter, not politicians and not insurance companies. If medicine has potentially harmful side effects, then it should not be easily available for self medication without any counseling from a doctor or pharmacist for no better reason than cutting government costs or increasing insurance company profits.

[Thunderchicken]

@Dan_Tien

That's what I thought you meant.

[bsking]

that's a dumb idea.. who's going to pay for birth control pills when they can get them for free ? how heartless can jindlal be ? next he will be asking people to pay for their own food

[Thunderchicken]

I enjoy your take on things. Thanks!

[BigD1391]

Keeping contraceptives easily accessible helps to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

[Keyjo]

Unwanted pregnancies, yes. But birth control pills WILL NOT prevent STD's.
Condoms are already readily available and are the only contraceptive that greatly reduces the STD risk.

[Litdes]

Who knew? An outbreak of common sense.

[AceLuby]

Obviously they should, it's 2012. Plan B should also be sold since it's just a concentrated dose of the same medication.

[PoliticalSpice]

I thought plan b was already available otc.

[David944]

The only controversy their ever was about birth control was should people offended by birth control be forced to help pay for it. Sounds like a good idea as long as tax dollars don’t subsidize it.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

I don't know how I feel about this. It just seems like a time of innocence is being lost in America.

[Keyjo]

Innocence is what children have.
Wisdom, is what (hopefully) comes with maturity.

[PoliticalSpice]

Perhaps, but if they are having sex anyway isn't it wiser to make contraception available, rather then a teen pregnany or teen abortion?

[ashgreen]

I have a very strong feeling that you're a man, simply because you seem to think that birth control is only used for stopping pregnancies, which isn't the case. I've been on birth control from the age of 12 due to PMDD, and it certainly didn't make me run out and have sex. Birth control doesn't equal sex.

[Libertyiskey]

Birth control does more than just prevent pregnancy, some women get it to ease the pain of that time of the month and I believe there is a few other uses and only certain types are effective at each. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this but I do no I'm no fan of Mr. Jindal, he's been the Govenor of my state for almost 8 years and only rarely visits the damn place. He spends more time traveling around the country just campaigning so he's liked when he finally tries to run. He's a career politician who's only interest is serving himself and whoever gives him money so he can serve the interest of himself further.

[Sharpshooter]

Most prescription drugs aren't sold OTC because the FDA claims there are dangers from improper application of the drug.

In the case of Birth Control Pills I would imagine the only concern would be the complications of overdose.

What would happen if you took too many birth control pills? You won't be able to have kids? That was the point of taking them in the first place.

Maybe taking too many would cause retroactive birth control.... Hmmmmm

WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

does anyone know where to find Sandy Fluke's mom? I have a few boxes of some really good hard candy.

[PoliticalSpice]

The pill actually can have sever side effects, cause blood clots, stroke. There are several versions and the women needs be educated on what to look for so she can know if the side effects mean she needs swutch to a version more suitable to her body chemistry. Tobacco is very dangerous with the pill, that needs to be explained carefully, not just a sentence on the box, but a full explanation of why its dangerous, how it works in the body to increase risk of blood clots, stroke, finally taking them properlly not skipping dose is very important as effectiveness for the entire month can be compromised by missing a dose or two. I am not against giving them without a perscription, but maybe certification they had a one breif lecture, combined with mandating the pharmacist ask questions and give indtructions to make sure the women know how to ise it is very important. These are not asprins they jave serious side effects and only work properly if taken in a specific order

[ACTSmom]

@PoliticalSpice ...you asked what I thought about the above...I personally think anyone taking birth control pills should be under the care of a doctor with regular monitoring of her health. Most pharmacists are very good at asking if you understand the medication and how to take it, etc., but I wouldn't want to put on them the responsibility of all that can happen with b/c pill. Sure OTC would make it easier, but the outcomes could be far more serious.

Would you believe I went to a dr. one time from the Phillipines and he said many women there were still getting pregnant while on the pill...come to find out they only took the pill on the day they were having sex.

[PoliticalSpice]

Actsmom@Yea, that was a problem in the u.s. too in the60's if my memory serves me correctly, not taking it on just that day, perhaps, but thinking missing a day or two was ok. Thanks for your opinion. this is going to be a hot issue, and I want to perspectives on ot now...

[Sharpshooter]

@PoliticalSpice You both have valid points but I think it's time for Humor 101:

This is called satire... A form of humor that's dying out because one needs to actually understand the circumstance well enough to be obtuse... hence funny.

For example...
THIS PART IS THE SET-UP, it gets the readers mind going in the direction you want to take them..........

Most prescription drugs aren't sold OTC because the FDA claims there are dangers from improper application of the drug.

In the case of Birth Control Pills I would imagine the only concern would be the complications of overdose.

What would happen if you took too many birth control pills? You won't be able to have kids? That was the point of taking them in the first place.

OK... now you're thinking about Birth Control Pills and their misuse, you are going in a direction you think is right..... Here is when I throw in a fork on the road ahead and as Joey Berra said "When you come to a fork in the road, you take it."

Sorta like this:

Maybe taking too many would cause retroactive birth control.... Hmmmmm

THIS IS THE PUNCH LINE..... The payoff for the setup... the funny part.

WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

does anyone know where to find Sandy Fluke's mom? I have a few boxes of some really good hard candy.

Ya know it really sucks the joy right out of a joke when you have to stop and explain it to the slower kids in the class..... please pay attention in the future, I hate wasting great jokes.

THIS ALSO IS INTENDED IN THE VEIN OF SATIRE. PLEASE TIP THE WAITRESS ON YOUR WAY OUT.

[ACTSmom]

I wouldn't have a big problem with OTC birth control, except for:#1 what makes you think the b/c pills would be used any more regularly than condoms are used? They must be taken regularly to work... and #2 there are women who could be at high risk who should NOT take b/c pills, i.e., those with high b/p, smokers, circulation problems and other health issues that could be made worse, including death, by taking the pill. That would open up the pharmaceuticals to huge lawsuits so I doubt they'll be OTC.

[PoliticalSpice]

What do you think of my suggestion in the thread directly above?

[Waynestew]

Where are all these sensible Republicans coming from? I had almost given up on the party. Where where they all the past eight years?

[Waynestew]

He can give up the presidential campaign because conservatives do not want a moderate they want a right-wing nut that they can control.

[PoliticalSpice]

The common sense is the result of the post election night hangover. Take two pills, and call me in 2016. Hopefully ot won't last and they will go on another wacko binge. Palin/Atkin, something like that...

[Waynestew]

@PoliticalSpice LOL. I know you are a an unwavering Democrat supporter, but I think it would be nice to have some real and hard choices to make in 2016. Instead of the super easy choice of the last 2 ecections. If Palin/Atkins was the ticket I could cast my vote today, I don't even need to know who the Dems nominate.

[PoliticalSpice]

@Waynestew well just planning a stratergy here, you'd be surprized how many who say they are conserve want to pick folks almost as likely to win. Read redstate some time. And you couldn't be wrong about whom I support, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And the idea of teturning to pre-FDR era was a bit much...

[twinertia]

If only I could trust you, Bobby.....