Some time ago, in those good old days when the men were 100% manly, and women were satisfied with their place, the laws were implemented no matter how much they offended the principles of equality. Now the situation is quite different, and the law has recognized the principle that, in order to enjoy the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, the treatment accorded men and women must be the same. However there are issues when, somehow, this principle seems to be ignored totally. For some, the dictates of religion trump secular ideas of equality, particularly in the cases of abortion. There’s a new aggression in the air, caused by the recent bills, brought up before the lawmakers. For example, the Senates in Idaho, Virginia, Texas and eight other states are slowly edging toward the passing of laws to require women to have a fetal ultrasound examination before being allowed to proceed with the abortion. In Virginia the tension grew to the point that police in riot gear were recently called to defend the steps into the Capitol. Most women see it as an invasion of the privacy between a doctor and the patient. Moreover, it legislates on a strictly medical matter for a political purpose. In fact, there’s no medical reason to have a fetal ultrasound. it’s considered inappropriate, since it requires a probe to be inserted into the vagina. In this example, its only purpose is as a deterrent to women about to go through an abortion procedure.

Larry Farnese, a Democrat Senator in Pennsylvania, has drafted a bill to require all men to have a full prostate examination before being allowed a prescription for an erectile dysfunction drug. All those actions were aimed at correcting the balance. In the case that there’s no physical cause for the dysfunction, the requirement would shift to require attendance in sex therapy sessions in order to determine whether there are any psychological problems that need to be addressed. In both situations, there would also be a video to watch that would detail the known side effects to using the dysfunction drugs. It is obvious that the scope of the bill is to make it as much a difficulty for men to get treatment as it would be for women to get an abortion. In fact it is a direct response to a bill introduced by Kathy Rapp, a Republican, called “The Woman’s Right To Know Act”, that is to know the fetal age of the baby and to confirm its heart is still beating by inserting a transvaginal probe.

We would be pleased to write that the battle has now been joined in Pennsylvania but, unfortunately, the Republicans have a ten-seat majority and can quickly vote down any Democrat bill. But at least it made people speak, which is always a good thing. Till this point this issue has largely been seen as a woman-only problem. Now you’ve got a sixty-four-thousand dollar question. Do you think it is appropriate for our law-makers to be legislating to mandate unnecessary medical procedures? With the Supreme Court about to hear argument on the mandate of health insurance, it would be ironic if access to both levitra and abortion were also subject to mandated procedures.