When actress Christie Hayes penned a fired-up piece for Mamamia about her husband being denied the morning-after pill, it proved incredibly divisive with readers. Some said it would be dangerous for pharmacists to distribute emergency contraception via a third party, while others insisted women not receiving it was worse.
Heather Maltman is one of the latter.
During a discussion about the issue on Studio 10 this morning, the 2015 Bachelor contestant spoke about her own traumatic experience; one she says still “massively” affects her to this day.
The 29-year-old said she once had an encounter with a former partner that meant she required the morning-after pill but, busy with work the following day, she asked him to purchase it for her.
“He actually couldn’t pick it up; they said no to him. And because of it I took it too late, and I actually ended up having a miscarriage,” she said.
“So when I read [Hayes’ piece] it absolutely blew my mind.”
Emergency contraception is most effective when taken within 12 hours of intercourse, as it delays ovulation and can prevent a fertilised egg from implanting in the uterine lining. It’s not an abortion, it’s entirely legal and doesn’t require a prescription, yet a third party in unable to purchase it on a woman’s behalf.
As Hayes wrote for Mamamia, “So, let me get this straight: we drill into men that it’s their job to be as responsible as a woman when it comes to safe sex. For instance, to always carry and use a condom in order to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
“Yet when it comes to being responsible AFTER sex, the blame lies solely with a woman?”
Maltman agrees that the policy needs to be amended.
“There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to go and do that for me. It was such a bad judgement call,” she said, adding her partner could have relayed any of the pharmacist’s questions to her.