We also asked the former Minister of Human Development for her thoughts on the recent contraceptives controversy, where a doctor's prescription would have been required for birth control pills.
As a long-time champion of women's rights and autonomy, she told us the Ministry's approach was misguided.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
"Well I think that the way it was handled there was much to be desired in the way that it was handled. We are not saying that women shouldn't seek medical attention and medical advice, but anything that has a gendered aspect in terms of prescription medications, I think in relation to the contraceptive issue there should have been, there should have been much stronger communication before announcing something like that. And I would like to repeat what Dr Marcelo Coyi - a very very senior gynecologists has said to us - that some of that regulation in relation to the contraceptive is a little bit of overkill. I think what we can do is yes we are not saying that you mustn't seek doctor's advice but where it comes to over the counter in relation to the medication for women in their 20's, 30s, maybe up to 40, um, we don't believe as Dr Coyi has said that 90% of them would need that kind of prescription per se. So I want to, I want to adopt to what Dr Coye has said but I also want to make the point that there is a gendered aspect to this issue of contraception, and so it is so important for us to have the broader discussion. It;s not just I am going to start to enforce regulations that has been there all along. You must talk to people, you must communicate you must make sure that everybody knows what Is happening and then we move from there but I endorse entirely what Dr Coyi has said."
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