...so many women are already made to feel dirty (douches, 'wipes,' panty liners for those days you just don't feel clean. Here's a brand new way to work on those of us with complexes. Sigh.

The good news is I read it in Broadsheet. I love this column. It reminds me of the earlier days of Ms.

Oh, and the userid is based on my love of cats - might seem ironic given this topic. Unfortunately, I'm not *that* comfortable.

email I received today:

Dear Jennifer Merk,

In our ongoing effort to provide great service to our guests, Target consistently ensures that prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also requires us to accommodate our team members� sincerely held religious beliefs.

In the rare event that a pharmacist�s beliefs conflict with filling a guest�s prescription for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, our policy requires our pharmacists to take responsibility for ensuring that the guest�s prescription is filled in a timely and respectful manner, either by another Target pharmacist or a different pharmacy.

- The emergency contraceptive Plan B is the only medication for which this policy applies.

- Under no circumstances can the pharmacist prevent the prescription from being filled, make discourteous or judgmental remarks, or discuss his or her religious beliefs with the guest.

Target abides by all state and local laws and, in the event that other laws conflict with our policy, we follow the law.

We're surprised and disappointed by Planned Parenthood�s negative campaign. We�ve been talking with Planned Parenthood to clarify our policy and reinforce our commitment to ensuring that our guests� prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. Our policy is similar to that of many other retailers and follows the recommendations of the American Pharmacists Association. That�s why it�s unclear why Target is being singled out.

We�re committed to meeting the needs of our female guests and will continue to deliver upon that commitment.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hanson

Target Executive Offices

[THREAD ID:1-17GZCG]

I sent this to Broadsheet, but couldn't find the original article - I'm sure I sent it into cyberspace, addressed to the incorrect article. I emailed Target when I first read about their policy re: Plan B (in Broadsheet); their response follows.

Dear Jennifer Merk,

In our ongoing effort to provide great service to our guests, Target consistently ensures that prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also requires us to accommodate our team members� sincerely held religious beliefs.

In the rare event that a pharmacist�s beliefs conflict with filling a guest�s prescription for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, our policy requires our pharmacists to take responsibility for ensuring that the guest�s prescription is filled in a timely and respectful manner, either by another Target pharmacist or a different pharmacy.

- The emergency contraceptive Plan B is the only medication for which this policy applies.

- Under no circumstances can the pharmacist prevent the prescription from being filled, make discourteous or judgmental remarks, or discuss his or her religious beliefs with the guest.

Target abides by all state and local laws and, in the event that other laws conflict with our policy, we follow the law.

We're surprised and disappointed by Planned Parenthood�s negative campaign. We�ve been talking with Planned Parenthood to clarify our policy and reinforce our commitment to ensuring that our guests� prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. Our policy is similar to that of many other retailers and follows the recommendations of the American Pharmacists Association. That�s why it�s unclear why Target is being singled out.

We�re committed to meeting the needs of our female guests and will continue to deliver upon that commitment.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hanson

Target Executive Offices

[THREAD ID:1-17GZCG]