Trump Administration Offers Obscene Explanation for Limiting Access to Birth Control
In its ongoing War on Women, the Trump administration has decided to roll back the Obama-era policy which mandated employers to cover birth control in health insurance plans they offer to employees. This is not a shocking move for the man who has demonstrated such contempt and hatred toward women his entire life. But it is cruel and has the potential to impact millions of women who rely on their employer-provided health insurance for contraception.
The new rules, which could be issued as soon as Friday, fulfill a campaign promise by President Trump and are sure to touch off a round of lawsuits on the issue.
More than 55 million women have access to birth control without co-payments because of the contraceptive coverage mandate, according to a study commissioned by the Obama administration. Under the new regulations, hundreds of thousands of women could lose birth control benefits they now receive at no cost under the Affordable Care Act.
Under the new rules, employers who have “sincere religious beliefs” or “moral convictions” against birth control can be exempt from providing coverage. Really what the administration is saying is that an employer’s religious dogma is more important than a woman’s right to make decisions for her own reproductive health and well-being. Since individual religious beliefs should not be a part of our public policy, this alone is hideous and unfair. But what’s even grosser than that is how they are trying to sell this decision as somehow contributing to the overall safety of young people.
In the new rules, the Trump administration says the Affordable Care Act does not explicitly require coverage of contraceptives.
The administration lists health risks that it says may be associated with the use of certain contraceptives, and it says the mandate could promote “risky sexual behavior” among some teenagers and young adults.
Friday, Oct 6, 2017 · 11:30:50 AM EDT · Kelly Macias
According to the AP, the administration plans to allow more employers to opt out of providing birth control to employees at no cost if they cite religious or moral objections.
This is not a joke. The administration is actually trying to keep birth control away from folks because birth control may promote promiscuity. What is this 1950s nonsense they are spouting? This is the equivalent to arguing that birth control pills turn women into sluts. Seriously. Also note that they would never, ever do anything like this to condoms or Viagra or anything involving the sexual health of men—whatsoever.
Besides these angry, creepy misogynistic white men who are determined to ruin lives, no one thinks this is a good idea. Doctors and reproductive health advocates know that this would be disastrous for women and take us back decades.
The new rules, drafted mainly by political appointees at the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, seek “to better balance the interests” of women with those of employers and insurers that have conscientious objections to contraceptive coverage. [...]
But Dr. Haywood L. Brown, the president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the rules would turn back the clock on women’s health.
“Affordable contraception for women saves lives,” he said. “It prevents pregnancies. It improves maternal mortality. It prevents adolescent pregnancies.”
And there we have it. Not only does this president think it’s more than appropriate to grab ladies by their private parts and expect us to take it, he’s also determined to grab our right to freedom and reproductive health, too.
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