Theme Song: Pink Floyd “Money”…while thinking about birth control options…
Projects: Writing articles, editing stuff, getting ready for Christmas
You probably haven’t stopped much to think about birth control options – unless you need it. It’s really actually a sad thing that the options that we have for birth control are kind of slim and choosing an option is a game of playing “What’s the least of the evils?” In case you’re not familiar with the different choices, here are your options, broken down by type:
- Permanent (vasectomy, tubal ligation) – not an option for those who want to eventually have kids, just not right now (or for those who “might” want to have kids sometime in the future
- Long-term (IUDs) – while some women swear by these, others have been known to have horrible, nightmare experiences with them, including when the IUD punctures the uterus and ends up floating around threatening organs
- Hormonal (pills, patches, shots, nuvaring) – again works for many women, but it can be frustrating to find the “right” one, meanwhile some of these methods have killed women due to blood clots – others have managed to be fine with that, but mood swings can be a real problem
- Barrier (Cervical cap, diaphragm, condoms) block the boys before they can meet up with the egg. The first two need to be used with a barrier gel of some sort in order to form a seal
- And of course, the worst choice, the P & P (Pull out and pray – yikes!) or none at all
Now, ideally, the conversation about birth control takes place between two partners wanting to prevent pregnancy. They consider the options and make an informed choice about what method they will use, and then use it correctly and with regularity. They head down to their local women’s health specialist and get a prescription of some sort. If it doesn’t work/is uncomfortable/or has some negative side effect, their doctor works with them to find something that will work.
For couples and women who are low income, the state steps in at some point, and legislates sexuality. This is done indirectly. Some insurance companies also legislate sexuality. Here’s an example:
A woman picks up her prescription and finds that the box of spermicide for her diaphragm only contains enough for 10 applications – and only five refills over the next year. That means, on the instructions given, they can have intercourse 50 times and have it be covered by the insurance program the woman is on. When asked about the need for extra spermicide – in case the couple is more active than the prescription allows, they are told “You will just have to purchase more on your own.”
Here’s another example:
A woman is on the pill, but while on vacation, someone stole her purse. In the purse were both the current and next month’s supply of pills. She calls her pharmacy and is told that her insurance will only cover 12 packs of birth control pills per year.
Sex is a huge part of adult intimate relationships. It’s unfathomable to think that for those who could not afford to purchase condoms, spermicide, or extra birth control pills when needed, it’s not a possibility due to financial constraints. The morning after pill runs about $60. While Planned Parenthood and other such women’s clinics try their best to help women and men who wish to prevent pregnancies from occurring that were not planned, there is only so much they can do with their funding.
This brings me to my point – you would think, that in all the human history that we’ve had, that there would be better solutions for preventing pregnancy. You would also think that insurance companies would find it beneficial to cover birth control. Here’s an argument that might appeal to an insurance company: It is far less expensive for you to cover birth control options for women and help them find something that works (and I focus here on women due to the very limited number of male options) than it is for you to cover a pregnancy. It seems like common sense.
Also, it would be nice if we could stop making products that burn, maim, or kill women in the name of preventing pregnancy. I recognize that a small percentage of women are affected, but that percentage is enough to continue researching methods that are more safe and effective.
For many, this might not seem like a priority – birth control. It’s something that many think belongs behind closed doors. However, by providing women with choices – and the power to support those choices – we can prevent unwanted/unplanned pregnancies. Abstinence is not at all a realistic option for most adults (particularly those in relationships).
