Birth Control: The Right Choice

In the 1950s Margaret Sanger made the lawful decision to devote her life to research in creating what is a right for women, a human birth control pill. What Margaret did not know was that 69 years later this would remain one of the most controversial topics on feminine care/ human rights. Birth control is an essential right that everyone should have access to regardless of the costs.

The most recent controversy about birth control is whether it should be free for the women who would like to receive it even without insurance. As of January 2019, the average cost for birth control ranges between fifteen to fifty dollars monthly, which can vary between insurance coverage, in total the cost of birth control is 160-600 dollars annually, (Palmer) This is an astounding amount of money considering that most common women ages range between 18-24 use birth control. Considering there are more females than males in the world it would certainly make an impact with not only inducing a lower birth rate in general but might also reduce birth at a younger age. Causing a health boost which may cause women to live longer and become healthier.

Birth control is not only used to prevent pregnancy but also has many other perks. Pills are the most popular contraceptive in the United States, chosen by 27. 5 percent of women. (Kiley) Kiley also mentions that women who take birth control have a clearer vision of when their next menstrual cycle will begin and have approximately 28 days between each period. Not only does Kiley mention that women's menstrual cycles will be regulated she also mentions that women who participate in Oral contraceptives are less likely to get cancer of the ovaries and endometrium. With approximately 15 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 63,230 women who will be diagnosed annually for endometrium cancer. (Cancer. net) (cancer. org) Having the option to prevent these cancers should be considered a right. Access to Birth control is necessary for the safety of thousands of women.

This is not the first time that someone has had the idea to make birth control universally available for all women, Laura W. Murphy strongly believes that all women should have access to birth control with coverage of insurance. “Far too often, government policies tend to be at odds with reality when it comes to women's reproductive health by ignoring the services that women need most. ” (Murphy) Knowing the health benefits of oral contraception, it should be covered for everyone. Depending on your financial state some women can already receive birth control with no costs. Sadly, not all women are that fortunate.

The fact of the matter is that even though the public has very mixed viewings about the oral contraceptive known as “birth control”, the simplicity of controlling the number of children a woman would like to have and choosing what that woman wants to put into her body is essentially her choice. Maria Pawlowska has used her voice in spreading her belief as birth control as a human right. “Women's right to contraceptive information and services is, in fact, an element of a number of key basic human rights such as the right to life, the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the right to decide the number and spacing of one's children, the right to privacy, the right to information, and the right to equality and nondiscrimination. ” (Pawlowska)

When using Birth control correctly it is most effective, most accidental pregnancies on birth control happen when the birth control is taken incorrectly such as missing one or more pills or not taking them as consistently as instructed. The oral contraceptive is an amazing thing invention that should be taken to benefit not to damage. Although the media has displayed birth control as a negative medication, it is not only beneficial but life changing. Birth control should be available to everyone regardless of the costs.

Works Cited

1. “The Real Cost of Birth Control. ” U. S. News & World Report, U. S. News & World Report, money. usnews. com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2012/03/05/the-real-cost-of-birth-control.
2. Kiley, Jessica. 'Let's Take a Moment to Talk About the Good Side Effects of Birth Control. ' Birth Control, edited by Jack Lasky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link. galegroup. com/apps/doc/EJ3010568279/OVIC?u=j084906&sid=OVIC&xid=873ba48f. Accessed 15 Feb. 2019. Originally published in Pacific Standard, 28 Feb. 2014.
3. “Key Statistics for Ovarian Cancer. ” American Cancer Society, www. cancer. org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/about/key-statistics. html.
4. “Uterine Cancer - Statistics. ” Cancer. Net, 4 Apr. 2018, www. cancer. net/cancer-types/uterine-cancer/statistics.
5. Murphy, Laura W. 'There Should Be Universal Birth Control Coverage. ' Birth Control, edited by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link. galegroup. com/apps/doc/EJ3010568248/OVIC?u=j084906&sid=OVIC&xid=76061cb1. Accessed 15 Feb. 2019. Originally published as 'Contraceptive Coverage Should Be the Rule, Not the Exception,', 29 Aug. 2011.
6. Pawlowska, Maria. 'Birth Control Should Be Considered a Human Right. ' Birth Control, edited by Jack Lasky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link. galegroup. com/apps/doc/EJ3010568265/OVIC?u=j084906&sid=OVIC&xid=391028e1. Accessed 15 Feb. 2019. Originally published as 'Access to Contraception as a Human Right,' healthypolicies. com, 7 Dec. 2011.