In an attempt to paint herself as the conservative alternative to Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina has continued to criticize the liberal definition of, “feminist” since her campaign began. Fiorina has insisted ideological feminism “shuts down conversation on college campuses and in the media.”
To combat this and further her version of the feminism movement, she has followed the GOP lead, pushing for over-the-counter birth control — a notion that may damage her shot at earning the votes of younger women.
At the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. last week, Fiorina said instead of investing in Planned Parenthood, “we could invest more in women’s health…by funding community health centers, by funding pregnancy centers, by making birth control over the counter — which is the fastest way to depress the price of birth control and make it available to everyone.”
Currently, under the Affordable Care Act, women are able to receive prescribed birth control pills without co-pay; with insurance, the pill is otherwise free to consumers. An over-the-counter birth control pill, like Fiorina has suggested, would not require a prescription or even a doctor’s appointment to receive, but women seeking to purchase the medicine would pay out-of-pocket, rather than it being covered by their health insurance companies.
“I don’t understand why [Democrats] are not supporting over-the-counter birth control,” Fiorina has said in the past, “I think it’s completely illogical… There is no good reason for birth control to be free.”
Planned Parenthood and other liberal groups accuse this move as, “an empty gesture,” that would not benefit women, as regular doctor visits are key to maintaining a healthy reproductive system and not requiring an appointment with a gynecologist to obtain the pill would discourage regular physicals.
A student at Radford University, who wished to remain anonymous, said birth control pills should be prescription-based because, “people can have reactions to the pills,” and “your doctor needs to know all the medications you’re on — I’m sure some medicines don’t mix well with birth control.” The student went on to describe the risks, citing the increased possibility of misuse of the pill and, subsequently, unwanted pregnancies.
Other young women activists have been seen protesting Fiorina’s pro-life policies by dressing up as birth control pills and even throwing condoms her way. Fiorina is not afraid to confront the protesters, however, saying, “You can scream and throw condoms at me all day long. You won’t silence me. You don’t scare me… I know the value of life.”
Although Fiorina’s beliefs on abortion and oral contraception are uncharacteristic for a typical feminist, she has redefined the term to fit her agenda.
“A feminist is a woman who lives the life she chooses,” Fiorina has said. “We will have arrived when every woman can decide for herself how to best find and use her God-given gifts.”
