Did you know that 98 percent of American women use birth control during their lifetime?
Yet for many women, it's simply too expensive. One in three women has struggled with the high cost of prescription birth control.
The consequences are staggering. Young adults ages 18-24 have the highest rate of unintended pregnancy in the United States -- and nearly one-third of female teenagers become pregnant before reaching the age of 20. Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.
Fortunately, the days of unaffordable birth control could end soon. Under a provision of the health care bill signed into law by President Obama, contraception could be considered preventive care, as it should be. This means that insurance plans would have to cover contraception without a copay.
NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation has launched a campaign called BC4ME (Birth Control for Me) to make sure the government follows through on the health-care law's promise to improve women's access to vital health services. We expect the federal government to decide this summer whether to include no-cost birth control in the law's implementation.
Last week, the BC4ME campaign unveiled a new Facebook application. The application lets you know how much money you -- or your girlfriend, partner, wife, daughter, or sister -- would save in your lifetime if you didn't have to pay out-of-pocket costs for birth control.
The Facebook application is a fun and interactive way to see how this policy change could have a real impact on your life. Already, more than 10,000 people have calculated the personal impact that no-cost birth control would have on them.
Liliane in Pennsylvania remembers what it was like to have her husband out of work while he recovered from open-heart surgery. It was tough raising three kids. She could have used every extra cent just to pay for food for her family.
Lauren from Virginia missed a few of her student-loan payments when she was in the Peace Corps. Before she knew it, the interest was piling up. Now Lauren isn't sure if she can afford the higher education she needs to advance her career as a social worker.
For every woman who continues to use birth control even in times of financial difficulty, like Liliane and Lauren, there's a woman like Nicole who sacrifices her birth control because her other expenses are just too much.
I wish I could say that we were facing no opposition to no-cost birth control. After all, who could be against a policy that would reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy?
Sadly, some anti-contraception groups are already fighting tooth and nail to block this policy change. The leader of one anti-contraception group had this to say about birth control: "We don't consider it to be health care, but a lifestyle choice."
A lifestyle choice? This ridiculous attitude towards women's health is astounding! The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Public Health Association, and the Society for Adolescent Medicine all refer to family planning as recommended preventive care.
Check out the BC4ME Facebook application, and find out how no-cost birth control would benefit you and your loved ones.
Follow Nancy Keenan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NARAL
Darren Hutchinson: Sexual Hypocrisy and Democratic Weakness: Just Another Day in the USA
Craig K. Comstock: The Nutritional Cost of Birth Control Pills
Toni Panetta: The Real Costs of Politicians' Obsession With Reproductive Rights
Jennifer Armstrong: How to Be a Feminist Boyfriend
Birth Control Methods - Birth Control Options
82.06.03: The History of Birth Control
Birth Control in America - Kennedy, David M. - Yale University Press
Why don't they make it a law that if a man gets a woman pregnant he alone is responsible for raising the child? Until our society holds men accountable for the children they help conceive women should be able to practice birth control. And what about men who get a women pregnant to force the relationship on her?
Having people who are ready to be responsible parents is healthy for society.
It would save the governement a fortune in Medicaid, WIC, Welfare, SNAP,(Food Stamp) and housing programs.
Only a tiny or no increase in the government bureuacracy dealing with medicine.
And would leave out issue with the drug makers.
The United States Government buys the total production of every single manufacture or birth control pills. It negotiates a fair price, considering it is buying the entire production.
With one Exception:
A manufacturer may produce the pills in a special "Designer Package", made of any non-toxic substance they want, with any jewels or crystal they want. They can charge any licensed pharmacy what the want for those speciality items.
Captialism in action.
The rest are GIVEN to all retail pharmacies that are state or Federally licensed. They would be permitted to advertise that they give this medication away free with a presciption.
Publix Pharmacies already provide some ant-biotics FREE with a prescription, presumably on a loss/lead basis. [Publix is a major chain of Super Markets in Florida]
No muss not bother. The insurance companies will have nothing to whine and lobby about, the retail pharmacies will have a freebee to give away, the drug companies will make the same profit they always did, plus what the earn on the "Designer Packages".
Even China wins, if the design of the packages is outsourced!!!
I guess you an I are the only ones hear. I agree with everything you say.
I would like it if you would read my post, which came two hours after yours.
I also wrote NARAL. I told them if they would respond to me, I would donate $10.00.