 How's that for a clickbait title, huh? Anyway, it's something that needs to be said. While the topic has been at the forefront of news and media for years, many Americans are unaware of frequent attacks by officials on organizations like Planned Parenthood that provide free services to people needing care related to children and birth. This includes methods of pregnancy prevention like offering condoms and free or reduced price birth control options. In a society where the term "abortion" gets people fired up in opposition or support of the practice, it would seem like easy access to birth control and information about safe sex, which would decrease the amount of women who must seek an abortion, would be important to those on every side of the argument. This has not been the case. In a 2017 article, the Baltimore Sun referred to this resistance as "The war on birth control." Attempts to rein in the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act were present from the very start of the Trump administration. The resulting changes gave many companies the ability to to deny its employees birth control coverage and made funding less available for long-term pregnancy prevention such as IUDs that have gained popularity among low-income citizens as methods that require less maintenance and attention. But, Lorina, it's 2018 outside; I thought this conversation was over. Why yes, ominous voice of the internet, it has been a minute since actions were taken but the effects are still being felt today. Planned Parenthood is still trying to fight back with petitions, campaigns, and fundraising to keep facilities running and providing services that were affected by regulation changes (Make sure to check out their work if it interests you to find out how you can help). It was in the comments for advertisements and posts about these efforts that I made an interesting discovery. It is no secret that a variety of people use birth control for a variety of reasons. Birth control helps to prevent pregnancy, reduce the number of (or even stop entirely) menstrual periods, and even provide pain relief to those who deal with chronic conditions like endometriosis. However, it terrifies me how many people are willing to support birth control for those seeking pain relief but not for those seeking pregnancy prevention.  It is important to acknowledge that birth control is used for many things other than pregnancy prevention. It is also important to acknowledge that it shouldn't matter what a person uses birth control for. We cannot support one use more than we do another. The bottom line is that birth control and contraceptives make life a lot easier for people. It takes away a lot of stress from those who are sexually active. It makes having a career and productive life easier by limiting periods. It relieves pain for those who have no other economical way of dealing with it. Birth control is medication and everyone who could benefit from its uses should have the opportunity to obtain it. It should not only be the pain of people that drives you to action, it must also be the want for others to live as comfortable, stress-free, and productive citizens.
So, I don't care what you use birth control for; I will support any person and their right to seek out life-altering medication because that's what decent people do. I love leaving people with resources so here are a few:
Feel free to include other links or information you have on the subject of affordable birth control below. Catch ya later!
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LorinaI just want to write poetry and make pretty things. Archives
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