Letting women have easy access to contraceptives is in the best interest of any government and certainly in the best interests of each individual woman and her family.
There are at least 46 countries where oral contraceptives are available for free to all women, not just those with a financial need. Taking a closer look at them, there are a few surprises – Philippines being the biggest – where getting the pill is as easy as walking into a pharmacy.
The geographical distribution looks like this:
Of course, the major issue is that the United States does not appear on the list. The richest country on Earth does not want to provide birth control for its citizens regardless of need.
Ironic as one of the big selling points of free birth control, other than allowing a woman to decide if she wants to be able to get pregnant, is the fact that it saves taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Unplanned pregnancies cost federal and state governments about $21 billion a year, while making oral contraceptives free to women in the U.S. would run about 10% of that total when all birth control methods are taken into account.
It seems like it should be an easy decision on the part of the federal government to put into place a system that provides the pill for free. As usual, politics gets in the way of progress, some don’t want to spend the money at all (ironic for the savings) while others don’t like the idea of birth control in the first place.
In the end, there are low-cost birth control options for American women, especially for those in need, but providing it for free can help alleviate at least some financial pressure for millions of American families.
Freeiheit on April 24th, 2017 at 15:44 UTC »
I don't get it. It saves taxpayers lots of money in the long run, and would actually lower the number of abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies
Shatana_ on April 24th, 2017 at 15:07 UTC »
US also seems to have no free higher education system, no coverage for a proper maternity/paternity leave, and no free medical support from what I understand from Reddit.
It is weird when you think of it - it is, after all the richest country of the world, yet the tax money is spent on military, and not on the citizens.
edit: grammar
Winterwolfe on April 24th, 2017 at 14:21 UTC »
My employer is a religious hospital system. As a result, even though I am fully insured, my anti baby pills are paid for out of pocket. It isn't much, but considering I only use the insurance for an annual physical, I'd prefer to have them cover my prescription. But according to my hospital system, the only approved birth control is an aspirin held firmly between the knees. Continue holding until a baby is desired or menopause, whichever comes first.
Women cannot get a tubal ligation with their Cesarean section here, even if they have outside insurance. Any sterilization procedure such as a hysterectomy, ablation, or vasectomy will not be covered by the hospital insurance except in extreme circumstances. I know one employee who basically almost had to bleed to death before gaining approval for uterus removal to be covered.
Other than the backwards religious principals regarding women's health, reproductive choices, and rights, it is a lovely place to work.
Forgot to add, definitely in the United States :P