The Trump administration has recently announced that they are going to rollback the mandated contraceptive coverage issued by the Obama Administration, under the Affordable Care Act because of moral and religious reasons.
The Obama Administration made it a legal obligation for all employers to provide contraceptive coverage for their employers, with the only exception being churches and houses of worship. The Trump Administration’s HHS press secretary Caitlin Oakley told Fox News “No American should be forced to violate his or her own conscience in order to abide by the laws and regulations governing our healthcare system”.
The Trump administration claims that protecting birth control can lead to “risky sexual behavior” especially among teens and young adults, however doctors claim that birth control is very beneficial to women’s health and reduces unwanted pregnancies and abortion rates. Dr. Haywood L. Brown, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists told the New York Times “Affordable contraception for women saves lives. It prevents pregnancies. It improves maternal mortality. It prevents adolescent pregnancies”.
Birth control is used for a number of things, some being, regulating acne, regulating and easing menstrual cycles and flows, and to reducing a number of illnesses that can occur in women, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), which cause extreme pain and can cause infertility, diabetes and increased rate of heart disease. While employers may feel that it is unethical for them to go against their beliefs to provide contraceptive, this rollback will affect the 55-million women who benefit from the coverage, all around the United States. The exemption for contraceptive coverage will be available for all employers who morally do not agree with providing birth control for their employees, as well as all universities and colleges who provide health insurance to their students.
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