On July 8, 2020, The Supreme Court of the United States sided with the Trump administration claiming an employer or university has the right to deny birth control coverage to individuals based on the moral and religious beliefs of the employer.
Basically, what this means is that if your employer doesn’t support the use of birth control, they get to decide if your healthcare will cover it or not.
Not only is this a complete violation of the separation of church and state, but it’s a direct infringement on the rights of American women.
And it is a crime.
There are many misconceptions about birth control, the highest being that if a person utilizes birth control, they’re doing so solely as a means to avoid pregnancy. This enrages religious folks for several reasons:
- Because they oppose premarital sex.
- Because they believe God will decide if and when a woman will bear a child.
- Because they are uneducated on what birth control is, why it is used, and why it is imperative for individuals who need it to have affordable access to it.
Contrary to popular belief, an individual does not always seek birth control solely to eliminate the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Birth control is also prescribed to women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), acne, endometriosis, and more. Birth control can also help to reduce the risk of uterine cancer, ovarian cysts, and make folks who suffer from painful periods have more manageable cycles so they can like, get out of bed, go to work, and crush the patriarchy.
And now, more than ever, women need their energy and health to continue the fight for control over their own bodies and uteruses.
Birth control is necessary healthcare, just as necessary, one could argue, as blood pressure medication and insulin are in maintaining the quality of a person’s life. And what would be the reason for an employer to deny their employee’s healthcare to access these medications?
This is where religious freedom comes into play.
Individuals are entitled to their own beliefs. This is true. However, there is a misconception among certain subgroups of the Christian community that it’s their way or the highway. We see this in radicals wanting to teach abstinence in schools instead of safe sex practices, and now with the most recent birth control fiasco.
It’s a direct attack on women’s bodies specifically, so let us not be surprised when the people being attacked begin to fight back.
After all, denying birth control is an act of war.
If you think it’s an exaggeration, think again. The same folks denying birth control are the same folks who want to make abortions illegal.
So, what gives?
The mistreatment of women runs rampant in America, from the most recent ruling from The Supreme Court to Tennessee’s passing of the heartbeat bill, to having a president who grabs women by the pussy and hasn’t faced a single consequence.
It’s almost as if, dare I say it, women are second class citizens to be used only for reproduction (when God allows it) and crafting a sandwich in the kitchen (when the husband demands it).
And now this.
How can we allow this? And how do we fail to see that we are facing yet another fatal virus in our country, which is the exploitation and discrimination of women under the false claim of religious liberty?
You want women to stop having sex. Just say it.
If access to affordable birth control is restricted, a woman will stop having premarital sex. That’s the goal. Isn’t it?
Because there’s nothing more repulsive than a woman who is in touch with her sexuality. And there’s nothing sexier than a woman repressed.
People won’t be quitting sex anytime soon, just ask your local priest. What will happen is the increased financial burden on women to continue to provide their basic human needs. And, for some, they’ll be forced to forgo birth control altogether.
Without insurance, birth control pills can be around $600 a year, and many women who experience adverse reactions to oral contraceptives must go with an IUD instead, which rings up to a whopping $500-$1,300.
“I have an IUD that I was able to get for free, but it used to be hundreds of dollars,” says Betsy, a schoolteacher in Louisiana. “The only reason I got it is because I have endometriosis, and my periods are debilitating. The IUD stops my periods, which slows the endo and has improved my quality of life in ways I can’t even describe. It has been more beneficial to me than surgery to remove the scar tissue. [Birth control] has changed my life.”
Many women don’t have this kind of money lying around and forcing them to somehow come up with the money or forgo their prescription altogether and suffer is sick.
“I’ve been on birth control for 11 years, and I wouldn’t be able to afford it without healthcare,” says Jill, a teacher in Chicago. “I have PCOS and a higher tendency to be suicidal on my period. I take the pill so I only have my period four times a year.”
But this country doesn’t care about that. Because this country doesn’t care about women. All this country cares about is controlling women, controlling our bodies, and pushing the religious agenda onto people who never even asked for it in the first place and who never consented to such harassment. But this country doesn’t respect consent either. And why would it? We see that every single day with the #MeToo movement, and the alarming stat that 81 percent of women have experienced sexual harassment or assault. Eighty-one percent.
Protecting the right to affordable birth control is putting the needs of a woman first, but the U.S. doesn’t want a part of that. Because if the U.S. won’t believe women, why would the attitude towards our health be any different?
Similarly to a lot of men we unfortunately find ourselves in bed with, the U.S. fails to listen to what women say we want and need, which results in disappointment and disproportionate satisfaction.
So, we must continue to do it all ourselves. And we will. Because women don’t quit, and we won’t back down until we are treated as equals and not forced to abide by antiquated belief systems that affect our health and quality of life.
So, if it’s war, let’s go.
Ladies, grab your vibrators and get to work. Because it’s clear that the most intimidating thing some people can fathom is a woman who knows what pleases her.
Sometimes that’s an orgasm.
And sometimes that’s a medication that makes existing easier.
