Birth control proposition is unethical

By Lucas Skye

President Donald Trump’s administration is working to make medical necessities like birth control less accessible to women, which is both unethical and irresponsible. The logic of supporting this idea is that the United States has had “a long history of protecting individuals’ and organizations’ rights with objections based on religious beliefs or moral convictions from requirements imposed in the regulation of healthcare,” according to an Oct. 13 draft rule prepared by the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This would allow healthcare providers, such as those offered by employers and even collegiate institutions, to no longer be obligated to cover important necessities like birth control and other contraceptives under “moral” or “religious” beliefs. Aside from it being wrong to allow one’s religious beliefs to manipulate the personal lives of others.

Putting aside all moral arguments against pregnancy prevention, birth control has many uses besides allowing people to have safe and consensual sex; such as treating acne, decreased bleeding, pain and menstrual cramps, regulating menstrual periods, treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, lowered risk for anemia and even decreasing one’s risk for some cancers, according to a June 2 Center of Young Women’s Health article. Thus all arguments rooted in moral or religious dogma against covering this medical necessity are invalid.

Under no circumstance should an individual’s moral or religious belief supersede another person’s right to health care. The narrative being used to bar women from receiving the medical care by the Trump Administration is that birth control can encourage risky sexual behavior according to Trump’s administration on Oct. 6. This is not the case since expanding birth control access hasn’t seemed to drastically encourage risky sex in the past. Teen pregnancies are on the decline ever since the Affordable Care Act required employer insurance to cover birth control free of charge in Aug. 2012, according to the United States Centers of Disease Controls teen pregnancy page.

After all, when a man wants condoms to prevent pregnancy, they are easily available. Condoms can be found at almost any convenience store and often times are given out free of charge at hospitals, especially those near colleges and universities. Health Services even offers free condoms to students. When a woman wishes to get contraceptives, however, it becomes an issue of morality and religious contention.

This proposition put forth by Trumps Administration prevents even those who only intend to use birth control for purposes totally unrelated to sexual activity such as cancer reduction, from getting their medicine in a cost-effective way.

To make this valuable medical necessity inaccessible to women because of “moral” and “religious” beliefs would be hypocritical and absolutely immoral. Denying someone medical treatment or preventative healthcare in itself is wrong. As a country that is founded on the principle of liberty, women should have the ability to make their own regarding their healthcare and personal lives without someone else’s personal beliefs interfering with that.