By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/kentucky-bill-would-require-men-have-signed-consent-from-wives-for-viagra Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Viagra Rx would require wives’ consent in proposed Kentucky bill Health Feb 15, 2016 4:32 PM EDT A Kentucky legislator has introduced a bill that would require men to get signed permission from their spouses and visit a doctor twice before they could receive drugs for erectile dysfunction. Louisville Democratic State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian said her bill, House Bill 396, was filed in direct response to a series of anti-abortion bills offered by Kentucky lawmakers. On Feb. 2, Gov. Matt Bevin signed a bill into law that requires women seeking abortions to undergo 24 hours of counseling with their doctor before the procedure. Marzian’s proposed legislation would require only married Kentucky men seeking prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Levitra to “make a sworn statement with his hand on a Bible” that the prescribed treatments would only be used for sex with their current partners. Marzian, a retired nurse and abortion rights advocate, told the Courier-Journal she wanted “to protect these men from themselves.” More specifically, she told CNN that she was “sick and tired of men — mostly white men — legislating personal, private medical decisions.” Marzian admitted that she didn’t think her bill would advance. “I filed it to make a point, that a bunch of laypersons with no medical training should not be making medical decisions for Kentucky women,” she said. By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
A Kentucky legislator has introduced a bill that would require men to get signed permission from their spouses and visit a doctor twice before they could receive drugs for erectile dysfunction. Louisville Democratic State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian said her bill, House Bill 396, was filed in direct response to a series of anti-abortion bills offered by Kentucky lawmakers. On Feb. 2, Gov. Matt Bevin signed a bill into law that requires women seeking abortions to undergo 24 hours of counseling with their doctor before the procedure. Marzian’s proposed legislation would require only married Kentucky men seeking prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Levitra to “make a sworn statement with his hand on a Bible” that the prescribed treatments would only be used for sex with their current partners. Marzian, a retired nurse and abortion rights advocate, told the Courier-Journal she wanted “to protect these men from themselves.” More specifically, she told CNN that she was “sick and tired of men — mostly white men — legislating personal, private medical decisions.” Marzian admitted that she didn’t think her bill would advance. “I filed it to make a point, that a bunch of laypersons with no medical training should not be making medical decisions for Kentucky women,” she said.