Illinois Woman Denied Emergency Contraception at Freeport Walmart
Any woman who's ever had to use emergency contraception, that includes myself, knows that it can be an embarrassing experience.
Sure, the pharmacist doesn't know who you are and chances are you won't ever see them again, but YOU know YOURSELF and you know this isn't something you'd ever thought you'd ever have to do.
Now, take all that anxiety and stress that you already have over the situation and imagine being denied that emergency contraception because of the pharmacist's religious beliefs. That happened to a local woman last week at the Walmart in Freeport and now she's speaking out.
Jessica Hoeft, a single mom from Forreston, told WIFR that no one should be denied emergency contraception for any reason; that nobody should be telling you "no" and "nobody has any decision over your body;" she stressed that this should never happen to anybody.
Walmart did issue a statement regarding the incident, which has happened more than once, saying, "We respect our pharmacist's religious beliefs and understand that they conflicted with our customer's needs. We have policies in place to protect our associates in these types of situations while also serving the customer with respect and sensitivity. We are looking into the matter."