So, apparently, birth control may just be the same as an abortion. At least, that is what the government is trying to say. I’m talking about the new health care reform bill. I know, I know. Everyone and their brother is screaming about how this new “socialist” (totally NOT socialist fyi) bill is going to turn America in to Soviet Russia overnight but I am not going to get into that (stupid) debate. The thing I am going to rant about is how it still totally sucks to be a girl in this country.
So if you are like me, you work a million hours a week in order to pay your rent so you may not have time to do research on legislation and mainstream media sucks when it comes to providing in-depth coverage, so I will break this down for you.
When the bill first came up, there was no language about reproductive health. Basically democrats were too scared to touch the subject because they were afraid that it would turn into an abortion debate. Which totally makes sense, because I know every time I go in for my yearly check my gynecologist is like “GET AN ABORTION!!!” and I’m like, “….but I’m not pregnant?” and she usually replies, “go get pregnant so you can come back and GET AN ABORTION!”. I should really find a doctor that yells less, but that’s beside the point.
Anyway, so last fall Senator Mikulski from Maryland put an amendment in that said the bill had to cover things like mammograms and other preventative screenings. But the bill still doesn’t say whether or not it will cover birth control and every time the issue comes up for debate the right wing nut jobs start screaming about baby murder. Seriously guys, birth control would prevent unplanned pregnancies which would prevent abortions. Where is the problem? I’m confused.
Did I mention that Viagra is covered. Soak that in for a minute. Women can’t get birth control, even though there are situations where it prescribed regardless of sexual activity like when someone has polycystic ovarian syndrome, a condition that can be helped by birth control but men can get Viagra. I’m sure ED sucks, but seriously have you ever heard a doctor yelling, “This man will die if he doesn’t get a boner STAT!”? I didn’t think so.
Side note:
I’ve spent the weekend trying to understand more about how to do a blog. Its confusing as f. I been looking through different directories, trying to upload url links and trying to figure out what a rss feed. All this other techie stuff which hasn’t been boding well with my extremely non-technical brain. But I think I have it a little more figured out.
So yeah, in case you are wondering what the whole directory thing is, it is where you can get your site listed. I am posting info about not quite Steinbeck so more people can read my genius and start worshipping my internet wisdom.
By the way, when I first got my blog, I installed that little map over there (on your right à) so I could see how many millions of people visited my blog everyday and where they are from. There are at least two pretty consistent visitors everyday, me and then some mystery reader from (judging from that tiny map) somewhere south of here…approximately Kansas? Who are you mystery reader, why do you love me so much? Just kidding, obviously you love me cause I am a visionary but seriously, you have me curious.
So yeah, basically what I am trying to say is that I need and love attention, so everyone reading this, you should totally become a follower or, if you totally hate me and wish that I would stop poisoning the internet, at least leave a comment saying so. Like I said, I love attention.
Double Side Note:
I spent the last five minutes trying to figure out why a random period kept showing up in the middle of that paragraph. I kept trying to delete it and nothing happened. It was some dust on the screen. I’m basically a genius.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on whether birth control should even require a prescription. Personally I think it's stupid that I can't just go out and buy a pack, I have to jump through a bunch of hoops and get my business looked at by a stranger just to get some stupid hormone pills. It's not as if female hormones have nefarious uses like male hormones do.
ReplyDeleteI think that is a horrible idea because quite frankly i love showing strangers my business.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, , I mean maybe if people were really worried about they could make a dr. appointment for the first time they started taking it or maybe schools could teach it in sex ed (Did our school have sex ed.? If it did, I must have been absent because I don't remember it, but that wouldn't make sense cause I always had perfect attendence...)
but I think that having to go in every three to six months is pretty excessive to take a medicine I have been taking for years. Plus then teens wouldn't be as awkward about having to get it.
You are the scientist/doctor though, so maybe you should contact the FDA and got on that.
I guess I was thinking about it from a women's rights type perspective. Women have to see a doctor, which is a historically male profession, to get a product which gives them reproductive freedom. It just seems a little sketch to me. I really don't see a problem with just putting it on the pharmacy shelf... They do say it increases health risks for smokers and stuff, but I mean you can buy cigarettes despite those health risks, so that is not a valid argument. Honestly I'm suspicious that it's just because they see it as tacit endorsement of promiscuous sexual behavior; make birth control more accessible, send the message that it's okay to have lots of sex (potentially at a young age or without being married). It's just stupid.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are a lot of people in the country who fear the fact that if women did't have to worry about consequences from sex, that we will have almost as much freedom as men. They would probably word it differently, like "erosion of family values" or something but it boils down to the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI think adults would be fine to buy it over the counter because just like with tylonel or nyquil they could read the risks. By educatiion about it, i meant like making sure teens were educated about how it won't prevent stds or that you can't take a few after unprotected sex and then not get pregnant. I think most people would know that obviously, but some parents (hyper religious ones) try and raise their kids completely ignorant. A pharmacist could probably be able to explain that though or a labeling with younger women in mind, but yeah, if plan b can be over the counter birth control def. should be. And the whole plan b annoys me too because people under 17 can't buy it without a perscription. This country is just nuts, they complain about the teen pregnancy rate, freak out about abortions and then try and make birth control unavailable. Ugh, I never really thought about this from this perspective before and now I am getting all mad that people can't just buy it over the counter. Thanks for giving me ANOTHER social injustice cause to get upset over! :)