Letter: Reproductive restrictions for women should apply to men’s rights as well

I am writing in regards to the article “If GOP defunds planned parenthood clinics, heath centers can’t handle patient flood.”

I want to propose a new statewide bill that would help curb the use of medications for erectile dysfunction. We should have a 24-hour waiting period before allowing a Viagra prescription to be dispensed (to ensure men understand the side effects), require yearly cardiac stress tests (to ensure men are physically capable of sexual intercourse), and attend counseling sessions (to promote celibacy as an alternative). This bill would be absurd and would not make it past any committee, unless, of course, the committee has a female majority.

Planned Parenthood should be seen for what it is — a medical clinic that serves so many purposes beyond abortion. We now have affordable intrauterine devices that can offer six years of reliable birth control. If a young person gets pregnant and does not have insurance, the cost to the taxpayer is approximately $10,000 (just for the the prenatal care and delivery), assuming no complications.

I would be willing to discuss the taxpayer costs for the reproductive rights of women, as long as we talk about the rights for men as well.

This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 4:15 AM with the headline "Letter: Reproductive restrictions for women should apply to men’s rights as well."