There has been a lot of discussion surrounding birth control over the past few years. There has been a push to make birth control more accessible to everyone across the country, particularly women who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Now, there is greater access to contraception; however, there are still major issues that need to be tackled. For those who are looking for birth control options, it is critical for everyone to be familiar with some of the most important issues facing birth control today.
One of the biggest issues today has to do with where federal funding is going. There has been a lot of discussion around an organization known as Planned Parenthood. For those who might not know, this is an organization that provides women from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds with access to healthcare. This includes birth control. People are also concerned because this organization does provide abortions as well. There is an amendment called the Hyde Amendment that prohibits the use of federal dollars for abortions. Some taxpayers do not want their money being used to fund abortions. As a result, Planned Parenthood clinics have been closing, leaving many women without access to birth control. There is still a lot of debate surrounding this issue, which might impact women’s access to healthcare.
Next, there is a lot of debate surrounding whether or not employers have to provide coverage for contraception in their healthcare insurance plans. Many people get their health insurance at work. Usually, there are a few plans from which people can choose, allowing everyone to tailor their plans to meet their own individual needs. Sadly, not every plan is providing coverage for birth control. Therefore, if the employer does not provide this coverage, people might have to pay for birth control out of pocket. For some people, this can be extremely expensive. It will be interesting to see what happens with this issue at the level of the Supreme Court. Some companies are saying it violates religious freedom if they have to provide coverage for birth control.
Finally, one of the most important issues with birth control has to do with minors. Some people are saying that teenagers should be allowed to have access to birth control and abortion services without parental consent. Obviously, this is a sensitive issue and some children may not want to share this type of information with their parents. At the same time, parents do have the right to decide their children’s healthcare. It will be interesting to see what happens with this issue as well. This has the potential to change the way healthcare services are delivered to children in the future.