So the objection that the pills could be used as contraceptives is irrelevant. But having to ask the employer's permission to get the medication prescribed by her doctor forces the woman to discuss private medical information with her employer.
How would men with erectile dysfunction feel if they had to discuss their inability to get it up with their possibly female boss and beg for permission from HER to get their little blue pills? Probably a lot of men would rather be hunting up the number for the company that keeps Bob happy than going to their doctors.
Oh, yeah, Bob's product was found to be ineffective:
"Smiling Bob" Not Smiling Anymore
The makers of the erectile dysfunction product popularized by the "Smiling Bob" ads will pay $2.5 million and provide consumers restitution to settle a multi-state enforcement action that alleges the defendants made unsubstantiated claims about dietary supplements' effectiveness and automatically billed consumers for products they never requested.
"Smiling Bob may have been happy, but many customers were not," said California Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
"The defendants violated consumer protection laws that rest on a simple principle: businesses must deal with people fairly and honestly. This settlement will prevent further violations and compensate consumers harmed by the defendants' practices."
More:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/03/smiling_bob.html
I don't see why this concept does not violate federal HIPAA rules, anyway, since it forces women to reveal their private health information with non-medical people. Why should it be any business of her boss WHY a woman needs hormone treatment? Birth control is only one of the uses and even that is none of their business!
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