Democratic State Representative Mary Lou Marzian is protesting pro-life informed consent laws by introducing a bill in the Kentucky House of Representatives which would place a variety of strict limits on men’s ability to obtain Viagra.
According to HB 396, men could only access the erectile dysfunction drug if they are married, have two separate doctors’ office visits beforehand, present a signed consent letter from their wives, and swear on a Bible that they will only use it to have sex with with their wives.
“This is about family values,” Marzian said sarcastically, going on to admit that the bill is not a serious proposal, but an analogue to what she sees as the intrusive SB4, the bill recently signed into law which mandates a consultation 24 hours prior to an abortion. She argued that her bill illustrates abortion defenders’ objections to informed consent legislation: “Do we really want a bunch or legislators interfering in private, personal, medical decisions?”
Pro-abortion politicians have proposed similar Viagra bills in other states, most recently in South Carolina. Live Action News’s December analysis of that proposal illustrates multiple ways in which the abortion-Viagra comparison is inaccurate, particularly that only abortion involves the death of a separate human.
Informed consent laws are also meant to ensure women considering abortion are aware of the variety of physical and mental complications associated with the procedure, which the abortion industry tends to downplay.