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Deborah Heinrich

Rep. Heinrich and Emergency Contraception

by: Matt Browner Hamlin

Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 08:49:16 AM EDT

Connecticut State Rep. Deborah Heinrich (D-Madison) has been a strong advocate for emergency contraception for rape victims in Connecticut. Yesterday, in a press conference that preceded hearings on the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, shared with the press and her colleagues that she had been a victim of rape and wanted to ensure that other rape victims would not have to live with the fear of pregnancy following rape because some hospitals refused to carry emergency contraception.

The 38-year-old mother of two recounted the details of a terrifying night when she was a freshman at an out-of-state college and a man she knew tore out clumps of her hair in pursuit of her.
After the numbness passed, she said, "slowly the most horrifying thought passed through the fog: My God, what if I am pregnant?"
At the time, Plan B emergency contraception was not available. But Heinrich says she cannot believe that even now some rape victims must wait and worry because not all hospitals offer it in the emergency room.

The state's Catholic hospitals have lead the opposition to the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act on the scientifically incorrect grounds that "emergency contraception can amount to abortion." Maura had a great diary a few days ago that explained why this claim is specious and how Plan B actually works.

Heinrich's experience based testimony was combated by hospital spokesperson Barry Feldman, who projected Joe Lieberman and reminded the General Assembly that it's only a short ride for Connecticut rape victims to find another hospital that would be willing to provide EC.

On a more practical note, he added, all of Connecticut's Catholic hospitals are in big cities, minutes from other hospitals and pharmacies that are free to dispense the high-dose birth control pills.

This is simply sick. Finding care after your raped isn't as simple as hoping in your car (assuming you have one) and driving to one that will treat you (assuming you're physically able to drive). Atrios described the scenario encouraged for rape victims by Feldman and Lieberman last year - it isn't pretty. Suggesting that some who has just been raped and is likely in a state of complete mental anguish and physical pain should drive themselves from hospital to hospital until they have the sense to stop at one that actually will treat them for being raped is as callous and uncaring as humanly imaginable. I wonder if Feldman had the courage to offer this suggestion while Heinrich was in the room. I wonder if he would have the courage to tell a rape victim like Heinrich, as she sits on the examining table, that he will not provide her with emergency contraception, but she's more than welcome to start a driving tour of the state to find someplace who will.

Hopefully the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act passes and we won't have to listen to wankers like Feldman and Lieberman defend institutionalized cruelty to rape victims any more.

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