Support for the Right to Contraception Act is support for women's freedom
Imagine being an American female that routinely goes to Planned Parenthood for a birth control prescription and you lose services at the blink of an eye. Many of us are aware of the headline: "Roe v Wade overturned" but what does this mean for women now? Abortion laws are regulated on a state level and clinics like Planned Parenthood are losing funding. This overwhelming change has caused American women, healthcare providers, and government officials to worry that birth control is the next target. North Carolina representative Kathy Manning has proposed a bill to protect the right to contraceptives.
Women’s rights have faced many obstacles for centuries. Presently, these obstacles subject women to disadvantages including lack of reproductive healthcare services. American women are justifiably afraid of their access to birth control. The Right to Contraception Act will ensure there are no limits on access to contraceptives. It also protects healthcare providers from penalization for providing prescriptions and education on birth control.
Contraceptives are a medication or device used to prevent pregnancy. The purpose of the Right to Contraception Act is primarily to ensure access to all forms of birth control, including intrauterine devices, birth control pills, and emergency contraception known as “Plan B.” The act is also to protect other reproductive services nationwide, especially in states where abortion and family planning services are eliminated or severely limited. Today, women should have the right to choose the timeline of when they plan to have a child. The limit on reproductive healthcare services for women interferes with their right to build economic stability and plan for a family. Additionally, women also should have the ability to access birth control as an option to treat and prevent certain medical conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, acne, and anemia.
Those supporting the Right to Contraceptives Act argue that since abortion is now illegal or limited in some states, attempts to ban birth control methods such as Plan B and intrauterine devices (IUDs) are on the rise. Reproductive rights are threatened. Women who used government funded facilities like Planned Parenthood have nowhere to turn for their care. Legislators in favor of this act suggest that women should have the right to choose the type of birth control method that is right for their own body and that it ensures a safety net nationwide for services.
Supporters bring up the benefits of birth control treating medical conditions and preventing certain cancers, and there should be equal access to care despite the state you live in. California representative Anna Eshoo states “no politician or judge should be interfering in a private healthcare decision or restrict access to contraception.” The decision is personal and should remain a constitutional right for women and for providers to do their civil duty to provide what is best for the patient.
Legislators in opposition to the act argue that it opens doors to extreme abortions. They believe that there will be more taxpayer dollars directed to Planned Parenthood for the sole purpose of ending innocent lives. In addition, the opposing side states that this act endangers the health and safety of women because it allows for doctors and nurse practitioners to prescribe drugs that are not typically used for reproductive health to induce abortions without restrictions. This would be unethical for the provider to do such an action. Finally, those who do not support the Right to Contraception Act say that the act crossed lines by forcing healthcare providers to violate their religious or personal beliefs by providing such services. Ultimately, patient care should always revolve around the patient and what is best for their body and health, regardless of the provider’s personal beliefs and opinions.
As an American woman supporting the Right to Contraception Act, I encourage you as a citizen of the United States and resident of Pennsylvania to write support letters to your local state representatives and senators to explain why it is so important for this act to be passed in the Senate. Share your stories and help the legislators who oppose the act understand why it is crucial to pass the act. You can find your local representative online at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative by simply typing in your zip code. Express how you feel on this matter and ask for a response. By advocating for women, whether you are one yourself or supporting them, you are contributing to the change.
Heather Campbell is a nurse practitioner student at the University of Pennsylvania.
This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Support for Right to Contraception Act is support for women's freedom
