Comment on: Not Everything in Life is Free by U.S Government

Hello Heather,

I agree that nothing in life is free. We wrote our editorials on the same topic, birth control, however, we came at it from different angles. I encourage you to read mine as well.

Congress cannot make a law prohibiting the free exercising of religion. But why should religious interest groups dictate what policy is written? By this I mean while religious groups may not believe in taking any type of contraceptives, that doesn’t mean non-religious people believe that and we are all covered by the same government. It would make the most sense to give everyone the freedom of choosing what to do/put in their bodies, instead of flat out saying no.

As far as birth control being formally being mandated by the Affordable Care Act, I would like to include an excerpt from The Huff Post. This paints a better picture of the underlying issue of contraceptives: Equality. Georgette Bennett wrote “Why Cover Viagra if Contraceptives Aren’t Covered?

“If sex is to be punished, why should it be only the women? Don’t men have something to do with sexual intercourse? Should they not also bear the economic and other consequences? And, if so, why is Viagra covered by medical insurance, including federal funding, while women’s contraceptives are in dispute? No one would argue that providing our veterans, who have suffered physical and emotional trauma, should be given the means to recover their ability to function sexually. But, for most others, isn’t Viagra about enabling men to have more and better sex? The vast majority of men who take Viagra are 56 years and older. Given that it’s mostly older men who need it, they’re certainly not taking it for the reproductive purposes that some religions mandate. So, why should women be denied the means to have more and better sex? Why should they disproportionately pay the price of lost economic and educational opportunities as well as suffering greater health risks? In the interest of parity, let’s discontinue coverage of Viagra if we discontinue coverage for female contraception. Are women’s reproductive health and life opportunities less important than men’s?”

Finally, I would like to point out that birth control does not protect you against STD’S, only condoms do.

Best,

Brandy Garcia