For decades now there has been an endless debate surrounding abortion, with seemingly no end in sight. In 1973 the case of Roe v Wade resulted in abortion becoming a right among the U.S. From this topic the conflicting groups of pro-choice and pro-life have emerged and continue the debate about abortion. Pro-choice is based on the phrase, my body my choice, meaning an individual should have complete control on what they choose to do with their body, including abortion. Pro-life fights against the right to an abortion based on moral and religious beliefs. Amongst the debates, teen pregnancy and abortion rates have become a nationwide health issue. Unplanned pregnancies are the leading cause for abortion. There is a way to find a middle ground between the two groups and help this health crisis, birth control. More specifically affordable and assessable birth control. This is a way for women to feel like they have control over their bodies while also decreasing the abortion rate.
People like to have sex. As much as it can be seen as taboo or wrong, people like to have sex and there is not a way to stop that. But with sex comes the risk of pregnancy and abortion. Thanks to modern technology and medicine there are ways to reduce and remove the risks of pregnancy, birth control. Birth control ranges from one-time use condoms to implants that can be used for years. Currently any woman can go to their doctor and get a form of birth control that works for them. Seems like that should solve the problem, right? The larger issue here is the accessibility. Contraceptives require payment that not everyone can make. Also, teens and young adults who are under family insurance might not have parents or guardians who support contraceptives. The shame and taboo’s that surround sexually active teens puts teens at risk for unplanned pregnancy. While a family may be strictly against their children having sex, it still happens. This pressure pushes teens further away from being able to get birth control. Accounting for doctors’ appointments and the contraceptive the price of birth control can range from $240 to $1000 a year (Kosova). A teenager or someone in a bad financial situation simply cannot afford that. Having affordable and free birth control creates an opportunity for teens to be protected during sex on their own. Especially when they feel as though they cannot talk to their parents about it.
The annual birth rate of women between the ages of 15 to 19 in the U.S. have been as high as 34.3 per 1000 women, much of which are unplanned. But with access to free birth control that number dropped to 6.3 (Williams). A more current program is also proving that access to free birth control lowers these rates. Colorado implemented a program to provide affordable IUD’s for low income clinic centers for teens without parent consent. IUD’s are a “T” shapes piece of plastic or copper inserted in the uterus. This form of birth control can last for 3-10 years. After the program started there was a decrease in teen birth rate by 54 percent and a 64 percent decrease in teen abortion rates (Brown). By reducing unplanned pregnancies that will directly correlate in reducing abortion rates.
This is an issue that not only teens but everyday women have to face. Women who do get their birth control through their doctors and insurance are now at risk of that option being taken away. During Trumps administration, alterations were made to the Affordable Care Act. These changes made it possible for companies and bosses to determine if birth control should be covered by the issuance they provide for their employees (Smith). So now not only would the government get a say in what a woman does with her body but now her employers can. This leads woman to have to get birth control without the assistance of insurances coverage. As mentioned before, birth control can be very expensive and without providing resources for affordable birth control, more women will be faced with the challenge of having safe protected sex.
In order for both pro-life and pro-choice groups to reach a practical solution, there needs to be a shift. Woman can have control of their bodies while preventing abortion through affordable and assessable birth control. But there needs to be support and action throughout the U.S. to make this a reality for all women.
Works cited
Brown, Jennifer. “IUD Program Leads to Big Decline in Teen Pregnancies, Abortions in Colorado.” The Denver Post, The Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2017, www.denverpost.com/2017/11/30/colorado-teen-pregnancy-abortion-rates-drop-free-low-cost-iud/.
Kosova, Eliana. “How Much Do Different Kinds of Birth Control Cost Without Insurance?” National Women’s Health Network, 17 Nov. 2017, nwhn.org/much-different-kinds-birth-control-cost-without-insurance/.
Smith, Jordan. “Supreme Court Says Trump Can Roll Back Access to Birth Control.” The Intercept, 9 July 2020, theintercept.com/2020/07/09/supreme-court-aca-birth-control-mandate/.
Williams, Diane. “Access to Free Birth Control Reduces Abortion Rates.” Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 12 Oct. 2012, medicine.wustl.edu/news/access-to-free-birth-control-reduces-abortion-rates/.
