Poor women and young college students are suddenly paying much more for their birth control than before according to The New York Times. These are exactly the women who need access to affordable birth control the most, yet a recent change in federal law is putting their health and futures at risk.

This increased price has led to a drop in the numbers of contraceptives sold at some college clinics according to Monica Davey. For others the increased cost means cutting back on essentials such as food or utilities in order to afford the contraceptives. This choice between taking responsibility for your reproductive future and necessary essentials puts these women in a lose lose situation that could easily be avoided. For some the only choice is to not take the birth control, which could possibly lead to an increase in unwanted pregnancies.

Unwanted pregnancies, and potentially avoidable abortions, is only part of the problem. Contraceptives are not only used to prevent unwanted pregnancies, they are also used for health issues. Poor women and college students who had been taking contraceptives for these reasons may find themselves in the even worse position of choosing between their health or food.

Luckily there is a group of Democrats who are working hard to change this law, hopefully by the end of the year. Apparently the change was unintentional so getting it fixed should gather strong bipartisan support. Though with elections coming up I wonder if some conservatives will take this opportunity to earn a few points by opposing it. I try not to underestimate the craziness of fundamentalists so I’ll be watching this story for the next few weeks.

~ William ~
http://wwjv4.com