Laura R. Woliver
Columbia, SC

The Legislature needs to make conscience-clause legislation regarding birth control and family planning more expansive, to incorporate an even bigger issue in the politics of reproduction: It needs to also protect medical personnel, pharmacists and store clerks dispensing male erectile dysfunction medications.

These employees should be able to ask the following questions of anyone requesting male erectile dysfunction medications:

1. May I see your marriage license?

2. Is your marriage to someone of the opposite gender? Please verify.

3. Will you be using these medications exclusively with your heterosexual married partner?

4. Will you use this medication only after receiving complete consent from the partner you intend to use it with?

5. Will you use a male or female condom during this event in order to:

a. Avoid spreading a sexually transmitted disease?

b. Avoid an unwanted pregnancy?

c. Avoid being complicit in the demands for legal abortions or the “morning-after” pill?

6. Please verify that you are not a Roman Catholic priest.

Our wise Legislature can most likely think of other questions to add to this preliminary list. Balancing out our reproductive-medication conscience clauses is very important, because there are no doubt many individuals who are forced to dispense, sell and procure these chemicals even though they believe that male erectile dysfunction is God’s will and should not be played with.