The Washington Post had an interesting story in April about James Madison University’s decision to stop the dispensing of the morning after pill in its campus health center after complaints from anti-abortion activists.
The health center had been prescribing and dispensing the morning after pills for eight years. Ann Simmons, a nurse at the health center, told the Washington Post that the Food and Drug Administration classifies morning after pills as contraceptives as opposed to abortion inducing drugs such as RU-486.
But Virginia State Delegate Robert Marshall sent a letter to James Madison University President Linwood Rose objecting to the distribution of the morning after pill. From there, a little politics was added to the mix.
James Madison University board Mark Obenshain is running for Virginia Senate. A local entrepreneur who supports another candidate distributed the letter to antiabortion activists pointing out that candidate Obenshain is a board member.
In April Obenshain then demanded an explanation about the distribution of the morning after pill and then successfully pushed the board to enact a ban on the contraceptive that passed 8-6.
Students at James Madison University obtained almost 3,000 signatures on a petition to ask the board to reverse its ban on the distribution of the morning after pill. That petition was taken up at the June meeting of the board which tersely reported that,
Neither the [Education and Student Life] committee nor the full board took any action on the request.
So for the moment, James Madison University students will have to go to off-campus pharmacies to have their morning after prescriptions filled.
Sources:
Pill ban gives birth to protest. Laura Sessions Stepp, Washington Post, April 24, 2003.
Summary Of Action By JMU Board Of Visitors. Press Release, James Madison University, June 6, 2003.