Limbaugh Calls Sandra Fluke A Slut

[debrand]

In her testimony Fluke mentions birth control pills costing $3,000/year. That sounded high to me. This site allows you to check prices on many different brands, and the generics too. Birth control pills are not expensive.

http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/

One example, Alesse 21 day 20/100mcg 6 Packs $102.80, the generic form Levonorgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol 0.1/0.02mg 12 Packs$146.10

and YAZ Birth Control 28 day 3mg/20mcg 6 Packs$176.00, no generic.

Other non-pill methods are more expensive, but no where near $3000/year

I thought it was $3000 over the 3 or 4 years she was in law school.

[Wolfie]

I just cannot believe some of the things Sandra says in her testimony. Like this:

Law students aren't exactly dumb. There are plenty of Walgreen's, CVS', Targets in DC, probably even Walmart. Birth control pills are NOT very expensive, if you're willing to take generic less than $10/month, and about $20 if not generic. I know if I did not want to be pregnant I'd sure as hell find the $10 to $20/month to pay for the pill.

I think birth control pills should be covered, their low cost is a lot cheaper than a pregnancy and deliver, or an abortion. Until they are covered don't go saying stupid things like a law student can't afford the price. A high school girl might have trouble getting them but not an adult, esp one in law school.

Does anyone know, do most insurances cover Viagra?

Mine are generic and would be $23 at Target if they were not covered by my insurance. And you know what? When I was in grad school, that $23 would have been too much for me to afford some months.

[NurseNell]

I think the operative word there is "can". Different types and combinations of contraceptive, hormonal or not, will obviously vary in cost.

Yes, and the site I mentioned above covers many types and combinations, as well as other non-oral types.

[doggie]

Well since old rush has had girl friends let him be the first to film his ugly ass going at it and post it on the internet.

[NurseNell]

I thought it was $3000 over the 3 or 4 years she was in law school.

Yes, I corrected that in a later post. Law school is typically 3 years if you go full time.

[NurseNell]

Well since old rush has had girl friends let him be the first to film his ugly ass going at it and post it on the internet.

Yew. :o Wasn't he caught with lots of Viagra in his possession that had been prescribed for someone else? And wasn't he in trouble with prescription pain pill abuse?

[Austin]

Yes, and the site I mentioned above covers many types and combinations, as well as other non-oral types.

How do you know what medications or in what combinations would have been prescribed to her friend who had a condition that caused her lose an ovary? You're looking at a list of possible medications, that's it.

[meda]

I just cannot believe some of the things Sandra says in her testimony. Like this:

Law students aren't exactly dumb. There are plenty of Walgreen's, CVS', Targets in DC, probably even Walmart. Birth control pills are NOT very expensive, if you're willing to take generic less than $10/month, and about $20 if not generic. I know if I did not want to be pregnant I'd sure as hell find the $10 to $20/month to pay for the pill.

I think birth control pills should be covered, their low cost is a lot cheaper than a pregnancy and deliver, or an abortion. Until they are covered don't go saying stupid things like a law student can't afford the price. A high school girl might have trouble getting them but not an adult, esp one in law school.

Does anyone know, do most insurances cover Viagra?

You are being very condescending. As I mentioned a few posts ago, my BC cost 80 a month. I could afford that because I had already graduated from law school and had insurance that covered 1/2 of that monthly cost. Other cheaper brands did not play well with my body chemistry. When I was in law school, I could not afford those pills, because my school insurance did not cover that brand, since they were not prescribed at the on campus clinic. Law students are prohibited from working more than 15 hours a week if they are attending an accredited law school full time. That means you are financing an education to the tune of 100k plus with loans and maybe scholarships unless you come from a family with some wealth. Since the point of this debate is AFFORDABLE birth control, why are you shitting on the credibility of a law student who says she can't afford the pills?

[debrand]

Insurance companies are notorious for upping the price when the actual price is much less. Can you go to the site I listed above and see what the quote there? Or check with Walgreen's or Target to see what they would actually charge you? I found out once that a co-pay I was paying was more than the actual cost of the drug (can't remember which drug, it was a few years ago), I raised holy hell and demanded I only pay the actual cost.

We go to Walmart which you already mentioned in your previous post. The twelve dollars doesn't bother me. The fact that without insurance some people might pay ninety-eight dollars a month just floors me.

On the inside cover of her container is written:

Ortho tri-cyl lo

Generic> norgestimate-eth estrad

So, she is taking generic BC already.

edited because I forgot to put the entire name written on my daughter's container.

[treemom]

I pay 12 dollars fr birth control that would cost me 87 without and it is generic. And I didn't go to law school but my masters was pretty damn close and I made 10.00 an hour and if it weren't for pp I would not have been able to afford bcp until I got insurance coverage that had it.

And I paid cash for college, so I guess I cold have effectively financed my bcp?

[ladyamylynn]

Rush is just jealous that he's too fat for sex unless he buys it.

Fat people have consensual, awesome sex all the time. Rush is knob, but it's not because he's overweight.

[Cannelle]

A few years ago, I went to a new medical practice, since we had moved. I'd been on one type of BC before (but my husband had lost his job, we'd lost our insurance, and I'd gone off, because- *gasp*- we couldn't afford to pay for BC out of pocket. It happens. I also went off antidepressants at that time, too). The nurse midwife put me on a different type of BC, and I developed horrible side effects. For months after I started this brand of BC, my lips peeled, cracked, oozed, and itched. I looked like I had a clown mouth. I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on...until I realized that the symptoms started after I'd started that first pack of this new brand of BC. I called the office immediately, and while they said they'd never heard of that happening before, they were happy to switch brands for me, back to my old brand. Once I started back on my old brand, my symptoms (which had been going on for six long, awful months) ended within days.

Not every brand works for every woman. The very first brand of BC I was ever on, when I was 18, gave me splitting migraines. Orth-TriCyclen (and whatever generic brand of it that I take) has been the only one that works for me (and thank God, because without it, I am a crampy, acne-like-a-teenager mess).

Different brands have different prices. *shrugs*

[NurseNell]

For months after I started this brand of BC, my lips peeled, cracked, oozed, and itched. I looked like I had a clown mouth.

Do they know why? Maybe a dye in the pill, or a preservative? That sounds really annoying to say the least. Did you report it to the manufacturer? I would just because maybe the same thing has happened to others but if it never gets reported no one knows.

[3 is enough]

Some of Rush's sponsors have bailed on him after his little outburst.

bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/02/10562744-rush-limbaugh-in-hot-water-with-sponsors-after-slut-remark

Getting hit in the wallet will shut him up like nothing else.

[Peas n carrots]

I used to be on nuvaring...it was the only BC that worked for me. The oral stuff always made me sick to my stomach, and I had never heard one recommendation for depo Vera....nuvaring did not give me side effects. When I started, my co-pay was $35 a month...expensive, but I could swing it. Then, my insurance dropped coverage for nuvaring...and it went up to $125 a month. I gave it up then....no way I could afford it. That would have been roughly $1500 a year!

As another poster said, I too grew up never experiencing this kinds of vitriol towards women, and now I'm baffled. I have always known there were men out there that did not like women and think we should go back to the kitchen, I suppose I'm shocked that there is a lot more people with that sentiment than I ever imagined. I'm disappointed more MEN aren't sparking out against Rush..their wife, mother, daughter, sisters etc take birth control. Are they OK that this douchecanoe insulted the women in their lives?

[Cannelle]

Do they know why? Maybe a dye in the pill, or a preservative? That sounds really annoying to say the least. Did you report it to the manufacturer? I would just because maybe the same thing has happened to others but if it never gets reported no one knows.

Oh, wow, I never thought about reporting it to the manufacturer. The doc I saw at the office hadn't ever heard of it before. It was more than annoying- it hurt (and it was embarrassing! It looked awful). My lips would peel and burn and itch, and then the skin would crack and ooze a clear fluid, and then I'd be okay for a day or two, and then the cycle would start all over again. My mom came down to visit about five months into this and she was shocked at how bad my lips looked. It was after she left that I finally realized what might be causing it (I had already changed all my face washes to something hypoallergenic, in case one of those had changed something, but to no avail). After going back to Ortho-Tri-Cyclen generic, it was like three days and I was completely better.

I'll have to write the manufacturer, thanks for that. :)

[Bella99]

We were bringing in almost 6 figures and when my doc prescribed $80 a month copay bc pills to control my endometriosis, I nixed it in favor of painkillers. We were coming out of a lengthy period of unemployment for my husband and owed a great deal of money to family. A prescription for darvocet would last about 5 months and cost about $20 to get me through the first 2 days of my period. Sounds crazy, but dealing with the pain saved us almost $900 a year, even more now that we have no insurance.

When I was young and presumably fertile I took BC pills because it would have been irresponsible to have children I was not ready for, so I am a slut who took BC so I could have sex without having babies. Now I am old, infertile, unemployed, uninsured and can't afford BC to help with the endometriosis. Unless I don't treat my daughter's asthma and ADHD or my own severe hypothyroidism. There is prescription triage in my household. Women have the same right to medical treatment and privacy as men, it shouldn't matter if the need is to treat a medical condition or just to cat around without making babies.

[NurseNell]

When I was young and presumably fertile I took BC pills because it would have been irresponsible to have children I was not ready for, so I am a slut who took BC so I could have sex without having babies. Now I am old, infertile, unemployed, uninsured and can't afford BC to help with the endometriosis. Unless I don't treat my daughter's asthma and ADHD or my own severe hypothyroidism. There is prescription triage in my household. Women have the same right to medical treatment and privacy as men, it shouldn't matter if the need is to treat a medical condition or just to cat around without making babies.

Which is why we need some type of universal coverage. Can you still get Darvocet? I only ask because in nursing school that's what we all were given for cramps but I haven't heard anyone in years mention being on it.

[EmmieJ]

Mine are generic and would be $23 at Target if they were not covered by my insurance. And you know what? When I was in grad school, that $23 would have been too much for me to afford some months.

Law school is pretty expensive. I could certainly understand how a student in law school might not have an extra $23 to spend each month, if it came down to "do I eat? or do I buy contraceptives?"

But that's not the point. Contraceptives should be covered under health insurance.

[EmmieJ]

As another poster said, I too grew up never experiencing this kinds of vitriol towards women, and now I'm baffled. I have always known there were men out there that did not like women and think we should go back to the kitchen, I suppose I'm shocked that there is a lot more people with that sentiment than I ever imagined. I'm disappointed more MEN aren't sparking out against Rush..their wife, mother, daughter, sisters etc take birth control. Are they OK that this douchecanoe insulted the women in their lives?

I'm not sure there are more men today who hate and fear women -- but I am sure that a few of those that do get a disproportionate share of media outlets by which to spread their views, like Rush Limbaugh. It's unfair to the good guys out there who love and respect the women in their lives, and have no desire to make life harder for women out of a meanness of spirit.

It's painful, but it's also got a silver lining (Rush and his hateful self). It's so vile and ugly, that it exposes to the general public just how awful he really is. He's not just a "shock" jock, he's truly a despicable bully who doesn't deserve to be on the air. The more elected Republicans keep quiet on this issue, the more women think "the hell with you assholes".

[NurseNell]

http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-s ... ign=recirc

In reality, Fluke would not have been a very effective witness. As a student, she wouldn't even be affected by the Obama policy on employer-provided health plans. Georgetown actually offers contraception in its employee plans.

Moreover, Republicans could have easily dismissed Fluke as a feminist activist. According to a bio on Georgetown's website, Fluke's professional background is in domestic violence and human trafficking advocacy. At Georgetown law, she is the former president of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, an editor for the Journal of Gender and the Law, and vice president of the Women's Legal Alliance. She has a bachelor's degree in Feminist, Gender & Sexuality studies from Cornell. Under normal circumstances, this resume would make Fluke an easy target for Republicans. But Limbaugh's misogynistic vitriol has made the 30-year-old feminist virtually untouchable, and Democrats couldn't be happier.

So in the end Rush's comment has hurt the right more than the left.

[Austin]

As another poster said, I too grew up never experiencing this kinds of vitriol towards women, and now I'm baffled. I have always known there were men out there that did not like women and think we should go back to the kitchen, I suppose I'm shocked that there is a lot more people with that sentiment than I ever imagined. I'm disappointed more MEN aren't sparking out against Rush..their wife, mother, daughter, sisters etc take birth control. Are they OK that this douchecanoe insulted the women in their lives?

I think one (of possibly many) good thing that can come out of this is for women, perhaps young women especially, to realize that our rights as we have them, or believe we have them, are not guaranteed. It takes vigilance to maintain freedom. This is going to sound radical, but the patriarchy is not just going to just, once and for all, recognize women's rights (or minority rights) because it's the right thing to do. Their view is that there is a limited amount of power and they don't want to share any of it. In some ways, I think these may be the circumstances that galvanize women who would never otherwise become active to do so. At least that is my hope. :)

[Gizmola]

So in the end Rush's comment has hurt the right more than the left.

How is being a feminist activist worthy of being dismissed?? How is being an advocate for abused women not respectable? I think she's accomplished for being the president of one organization, an editor of another and vice-president of another. She has a degree from a respected university such as Cornell. How can any of this make her an "easy target"? Anyone who thinks that this resume or a woman being a feminist working to better the lives of women is worthy of being a target instead of being celebrated is a world class asshole.

[Austin]

How is being a feminist activist worthy of being dismissed?? How is being an advocate for abused women not respectable? I think she's accomplished for being the president of one organization, an editor of another and vice-president of another. She has a degree from a respected university such as Cornell. How can any of this make her an "easy target"? Anyone who thinks that this resume or a woman being a feminist working to better the lives of women is worthy of being a target instead of being celebrated is a world class asshole.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Ms. Fluke has an extremely enviable resume; she is clearly an experienced advocate and leader. Who better to speak to legislators on behalf of women's health?

The idea that she is less credible because she is a feminist only disproves the right's point further. Especially when we consider this:

[keeperrox]

Like several already said, I starting taking birth control because I was having sex. Period. Not to control my menstruation, not to clear up acne, and not for any other medical issue. My uterus, my responsibility not to have a clump of cells inhabit it that could grow into a baby if I let it. I continued taking the pill when I moved in with my now-husband and for 5.5 years into our marriage, so we could grow together and form our identity as a couple, not as just "parents". If someone wants to consider me a slut for that, they can just go fuck themselves, because I live in a world where having a clear idea of what a healthy sexual relationship is, is encouraged not shamed.

And my husband has no problem with that.

As for coverage, I've always been on an insurance that covers it. The most I've ever paid for 3 months is $15 total, and I realize that I'm extremely lucky in that regard. However, having accessible birth control shouldn't be about luck; it's about medical and reproductive rights, which, in my book, make it non-negotiable.