March 13, 2012 | Health Matters

Jumping through hoops for Viagra

As various US state lawmakers try to make abortions more difficult for women to get, some politicians are protesting anti-choice legislation by introducing bills to govern men's reproductive health.

The latest example is a bill by Ohio state senator Nina Turner. She has proposed a law that would make Viagra more difficult to get. Men would need to see a sex therapist, have a cardiac stress test, and get an affidavit from a sex partner confirming one's impotency before one could be prescribed the little blue pills.

She is protesting a bill known as the "Heartbeat" Bill, which would limit abortions to around 6-weeks after conception, or as soon as a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

“I understand some women think my bill is a personal affront,” said Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, who introduced the "Heartbeat" Bill. “Protecting the unborn — to compare this to Viagra is not even related.”

“I’m fed up over all this concern, consideration and conversation over the feeble and fragile minds of women who are unable to make decisions on their own,” Turner countered. “I thought it was time to show our men some love and some regulation. It was time to level the playing field for all."

Missouri state Rep. Stacey Newman also introduced protest legislation that would allow men to get vasectomies only if their life depended upon the procedure.

Want Viagra? Ohio lawmaker wants men to get second opinion [MSNBC]