I'm not asking about religious arguments or making any moral judgments. What I'm asking is why has birth control seemingly been deemed the most important medical issue facing women? Obamacare mandates that any woman going to a physician for birth control has to be treated at no cost to her, yet if the same woman has diabetes she must pay her regular co-pay and deductible for her visit and medication. While I understand that there are other reasons for taking birth control pills then just preventing pregnancy but I don't understand why birth control above all other treatments is so vital that it needs the mandates of Obamacare.

Some liberals I know feel that improved birth control education will lessen poverty. Their view is that most unplanned pregnancies occur by poor out of wedlock young people who cannot afford kids in the first place. If these poor did not have unplanned kids they would have a better chance at pulling themselves out of poverty. They also point out the fact that if the poor have fewer kids, there will be fewer poor since poverty tends to follow generations. Sort of eugenics I guess.

 

My view is, there are many people in this country, I don't care how much you educate them, they only worry about the here, now and today and thinking 9 months down the road just doesn't cross their mind.

Some liberals I know feel that improved birth control education will lessen poverty. Their view is that most unplanned pregnancies occur by poor out of wedlock young people who cannot afford kids in the first place. If these poor did not have unplanned kids they would have a better chance at pulling themselves out of poverty. They also point out the fact that if the poor have fewer kids, there will be fewer poor since poverty tends to follow generations. Sort of eugenics I guess.

 

My view is, there are many people in this country, I don't care how much you educate them, they only worry about the here, now and today and thinking 9 months down the road just doesn't cross their mind.

 

I don't think this is it at all. It is not about population control. For centuries men have used pregnancy to control women whether it is to keep them at home or whatever. When women gained control of their reproductive systems they gained freedom and have become much less oppressed. If they are denied access to effective birth control they lose freedom and control.

I kind of agree with Bert to an extent on the lessening poverty. We have over 7 billion people on this planet, no need to have babies by parents that may not want the child. Many people accept that they are pregnent and will have the child, others will not, and birth control is better than the latter IMO as I do not agree with abortion, unless the mothers life is in danger and possibly due to rape.

 

Too many people see another child as $$$ from the government and don't care about their kids other than that $$$! I would even rather see us pay to have people get "fixed" than to help pay for an unwanted child for 18 + years.

 

I'm Catholic, But I agree that all women should have access to birth control, again I also see it better than the alternative.

Women have always had control of their reproductive organs. Lol Sex is a choice.

Women have always had control of their reproductive organs. Lol Sex is a choice.

 

Not always.

Women have always had control of their reproductive organs. Lol Sex is a choice.

 

You can LOL all you want on this one, but history does not bear out your opinion. Sex and reproduction have been a weapon used by men throughout history. Even now in our country:

 

A man rapes a women, which is humiliating and damaging in and of itself, but we have folks, mostly men who will then not give the women control of what happens to her next. It is about control.

So are we talking only about rapes or women in general not having control of engaging in sex? When was using sex to oppress women a norm?

acemona is right. Birth control is a rallying cry for freedom for many women. They see it as a symbol of being in control of their own body and their own life.

This is why government shouldn't be involved in healthcare. Women can buy birth control at community centers and pharmacies. No one is preventing that.

I don't know if I buy that as accurate (although I have do doubt that some here believe it) but my question is why has contraception been deemed sacrosanct. A woman gets cancer ans she still has to pay her co-pay and deductible but she can get the pill for free. She may die but she won't get pregnant.

I personally feel birth control is a choice, and that there is already at least 2 free options that I know of...abstinence and natural family planning. To me, it's like preventing other medical conditions...certain types of conditions caused by our personal choices. You can make lifestyle changes to prevent these conditions, or purchase medicine to do so. If you want to prevent lung cancer, for instance, you choose not to smoke, choose to quit (if a smoker) cold turkey, or buy a medicine that aids in quitting. I'm not equating pregnancy with lung cancer...please know that.

 

All that being said, those are my thoughts for me...

 

As to the question posed in the thread, liberals are not the only group who use birth control of any sort. And as with any issue, there will be support for it in even the conservative camp. I think that it's a gross exaggeration to say "liberals rally around birth control", when just as many conservatives use it. Issues like birth control and abortion do not touch only "liberals". So I can't answer the question, as I don't believe it to be a realistic question.

 

It does lead me to another question, though...

 

The conservative position is against abortion....and it is often often cited that abortion is a means of birth control, and use statistics citing low-income women as using abortion as their method of birth control. Many of the same conservatives will decry social aid programs and issues like this one of free birth control citing statistics of low-income women having children merely to gain more money from those programs. How can it be both ways? And if the overriding concern is to overturn Roe v. Wade, wouldn't it be a logical conclusion that free birth control options would be a good step toward that goal?

So are we talking only about rapes or women in general not having control of engaging in sex? When was using sex to oppress women a norm?

 

Believe it or not there was a time when men and women were married and were "not in love." Men used their wives as sex releases but little more than endentured servanthood was their plight. Even in this enlightened age I have counseled many couples/women who were forced/intimidated/guilted into sexual activity because of a domineering relationship.

There is a fascinating chapter in the book "Freakonomics" that links the implementation of Roe v. Wade and decline in crime.

I personally feel birth control is a choice, and that there is already at least 2 free options that I know of...abstinence and natural family planning. To me, it's like preventing other medical conditions...certain types of conditions caused by our personal choices. You can make lifestyle changes to prevent these conditions, or purchase medicine to do so. If you want to prevent lung cancer, for instance, you choose not to smoke, choose to quit (if a smoker) cold turkey, or buy a medicine that aids in quitting. I'm not equating pregnancy with lung cancer...please know that.

 

All that being said, those are my thoughts for me...

 

As to the question posed in the thread, liberals are not the only group who use birth control of any sort. And as with any issue, there will be support for it in even the conservative camp. I think that it's a gross exaggeration to say "liberals rally around birth control", when just as many conservatives use it. Issues like birth control and abortion do not touch only "liberals". So I can't answer the question, as I don't believe it to be a realistic question.

 

It does lead me to another question, though...

 

The conservative position is against abortion....and it is often often cited that abortion is a means of birth control, and use statistics citing low-income women as using abortion as their method of birth control. Many of the same conservatives will decry social aid programs and issues like this one of free birth control citing statistics of low-income women having children merely to gain more money from those programs. How can it be both ways? And if the overriding concern is to overturn Roe v. Wade, wouldn't it be a logical conclusion that free birth control options would be a good step toward that goal?

 

The initial question had nothing to do with abortion nor any question of the morality of birth control in general, rather the liberal policy that all women should have FREE (I have zero problem with any woman using contraception if she chooses) access to contraception. Perhaps I worded the question poorly so let me restate it. Why do liberals believe that free access to contraception is vital to women.