Ohio Dem's Viagra Bill Would Place Strict Restrictions on Prescriptions

A Democratic lawmaker introduced a bill in the Ohio Senate this week that would regulate how men access erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra, the latest attempt by the left to go on the offensive in the fight over reproductive rights.

The Washington Post reports that Sen. Nina Turner of Cleveland introduced the measure in response to a slew of recent legislation centered on women’s reproductive health, in particular Ohio's so-called "heartbeat bill” that passed the state House last year. That bill would ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

Turner's proposal would require a man seeking Viagra to first attain an affidavit from a sexual partner attesting to his impotency, see a state-approved sex therapist, complete a stress test to assure he is healthy enough for sexual activity, and return to the doctor every 90 days to check on his cardiac health. The patient would also have to attend three outpatient counseling sessions within six months of receiving his prescription to ensure that he fully understands the "dangerous side effects" of taking erectile dysfunction drugs.

The Ohio Democrat explained her reasoning behind the eyebrow-raising bill to the Dayton Daily News like so: "Even the FDA recommends that doctors make sure that assessments are taken that target the nature of the symptoms, whether it’s physical or psychological. I certainly want to stand up for men’s health and take this seriously and legislate it the same way mostly men say they want to legislate a woman’s womb."

The Viagra legislation, however, is unlikely to see the light of day given the GOP controls the Ohio state legislature, and the Republicans behind the heartbeat bill are none too pleased with what they see as a publicity stunt. "Protecting the unborn—to compare this to Viagra is not even related," Republican Rep. Lynn Wacthmann told the Daily News.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights group, 92 new abortion-restricting laws were passed last year, and Turner isn’t the first female state lawmaker to turn the recent hubbub into tongue-in-cheek legislative fodder.

Among a handful of recent backlash bills by female Democrat legislators was Virginia Sen. Janet Howell’s amendment to her state’s ultrasound bill that required women seeking abortions to first undergo a vaginal ultrasound. Howell’s amendment, which failed, would have required men seeking Viagra to undergo a rectal exam. Missouri Rep. Stacey Newman has also submitted legislation that would permit men to get vasectomies only in life-threatening situations, as Yahoo! News notes.