Dr. Richard Carmona statement on legislature’s attempt to block access to contraception

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Former U.S. Surgeon General and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Dr. Richard Carmona, has issued this statement on our Tea-Publican legislature's war on women this week:

Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona released the following statement on the efforts by Arizona's legislature to block access to contraception and health care coverage for women:

"Any attempt to block access to contraception is simply bad public health policy. This latest effort by an Arizona Senate panel to strip funding for Planned Parenthood is extremely misguided, and so is the legislation that would allow any employer to prevent access to birth control."

"As Surgeon General, I focused on what was good for the health of the country, not what was good for partisan politics. And as a longtime health care professional, I can say without hesitation that restricting access to reproductive health care is detrimental to the health and safety of women. Period."

"The political rhetoric from some on this issue is greatly overheated, yet we cannot shy away from protecting a woman's right to accessible and affordable reproductive health care. I urge the legislature to not only reconsider, but to actually talk to and confer with licensed public health professionals before taking drastic action that could harm so many Arizonans."

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