Rolling Back On Birth Control Discriminates Against Women And The Institution Of Child-bearing; Lessons From USA

When it comes to birth control, women who are the primary beneficiaries and when it is rolled back, they suffer most. The Trump administration’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Division has expanded exemptions to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that employers’ health care plans provide no coverage for no-cost birth control. In doing this, they have singled out a women’s health benefit. The administration stated that requiring insurance plans to cover birth control imposes a substantial burden to the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and could promote risky sexual behavior among adolescents.

The list of no-cost birth control contains such options like: combined pill; contraception implant; contraception after having baby; contraception injection; contraception patch; contraception vaginal ring; diaphragm and caps; Long acting reversible contraception; Progestogen-only pill; sterilization; and Natural family planning. According to the list about three options can be used by men but the rest are used by women. Rolling back the birth control coverage is an attack on women, their families and an affront to working couples. The Obama-era Affordable Care Act made contraception an essential standard of care under women’s preventive health care. It was covered under most insurance plans, along with prenatal care, breast exams and well-woman visits. The birth control mandate compelled for-profit employers to cover the full range of contraceptives, including the pill, the intrauterine device and the Plan B morning-after pill, at no out-of-pocket cost to women. Exemptions for churches and nonprofit religious organizations were made. Now, the Trump Administration is making it much broader to allow any boss to object to the coverage. 

It is a set back on the quality sexual and reproductive health and leaves women without access to contraception. The demographics show that this will affect many homes. More than 55 million women currently have access to free birth control according to data compiled under the Obama administration. The new rules would also affect hundreds of thousands of women.  According to the National Health Statistics reports there are more numbers of women of childbearing age 15-44 years living under marital or cohabiting status. Many of these opted for contraceptions but also have a strong desire to have children. This reflects the needs of women embedded in a milieu promising better and quality life. During the Obama-era Birth control options, enabled employers to offer women health care coverage that met their medical needs. There are several advantages society benefits from having women have Birth control and these are:

Birth control creates an opportunity to have a child when parents are ready. Both the mother  and father are able to engage in all necessary preparations culminating in child-bearing. Through counselling and assessment the following services can be made available: birth control; abortion; men’s sexual health; early pregnancy services; and gynecologic services including routine well woman care, breast exam, pap smear, health screening, colposcopy, screening, HPV vaccination, treatment of sexually transmitted, vaginal, and urinary tract infections.

Birth control is a knowledge platform where information and support on sexual reproductive health for both females and males men is exchanged. It enables sexually active persons to receive tailored, planned  information, communication, education and other necessary interventions from trained or specialized health providers.

Birth control unlocks possibilities for beneficiaries to participate in planned births, antenatal and post natal care. This may include all birth control options and attendant medical services for adults as well as teens.

Birth control ensures both parents have access to services promoting family based sexual health. Parents are able to receive services which impact positively on how they look after themselves and their children. The health knowledge of both parents is increased since they can access health improving information.

Birth control increases the number of opportunities sexual reproductive health as an issues is brought up at work and at households. This improves decision making and forms positive attitude toward paternal, maternal and child health outcomes. The decisions may range from proper use of paternity and maternity leaves, planned recreation, bonding, nutritional health to overall safety of the home.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Obamacare contraception mandate of August 2012 made contraception free to many American women, with the share of women spending any out-of-pocket costs on oral contraception plunging from 20.9% in 2012 to 3% in 2015. The out-of-pocket money was then made available to purchase other commodities in the market that promoted quality life. 

Birth control is a benefit that gave working women an opportunity to lead more thriving quality live needs challenging. Erasing it out deprives them of that one crucial key to quality well-being. Birth control in the hands of women improves on the quality of households which in turn improves the quality of a nation. Men should not assault women. That is worse enough. But, using law to attack the dignity of womanhood is the worst they face now.

Source; UNAIDS & Google

Women's Health: A shift towards the well whole woman; Lessons From USA

Women's health, as a theme, is a single factor that interests me. If our mothers are healthy, we would have a quality motherhood and a wealthy nation. The social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors in which women are able to negotiate, access, demand and provide health should be the policy within which health providers address the full physical and mental health of women. The expected benefits are drawn from strategies by governments to influence public health. The strategy is " to directly provide programs and services that are designed to meet the health needs of populations, (Turnock, B.J., 2016).”

Source: Google

Women who are healthy, are able to engage in fruitful activities, acquire education and qualifications to enable them occupy positions of influence. Such people occupy high positions in the major institutions such as: media, law, computer, education, engineering, health, foundations, non-governmental, banking, business and government. "They allocate values for our society and shape the lives of all Americans. They participate in decisions that allocate value for society. They determine what has to be taught, 'news,' products to sell and the trendy fashions, (Dye and Ziegler, 2006).”

Women's physical and mental health can be the goal once these problems below are positively addressed (Fogel, C.I. 1994):

1. The status of women as far as salary, dual roles, politics, business, law and physical abuse go.

2. Women's health and labor force.

3. Women in social movement building.

4. Self-actualization.

5. Women in control of their own bodies.

6. Women health outside reproductive health, obstetrics and gynecology

7. Violence against women

8. sexual dysfunction, pregnancy and the gynecologic triad

9. Mental disorders in women.

10. Interventions addressing women related issues such as: teenage pregnancy, displaced homemakers, battered women, the aged, women offenders.

Addressing the above issues makes them a public matter. Women, in turn, will be allocated their fair share of collective burdens and benefits. The social benefits would be a quality long life for women, happiness, income and status.

REFERENCES:

Dye T. R. and Ziegler H. (2006) The Irony Of Democracy. Belmont, CA. Thomson Wadsworth

Fogel, C.I. (1994). women’s Healthcare. Sage Publications

Turnock, B.J. (2016). Essentials of Public Health (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA. Jones and Bartlett.

Photo: UNiTE in Africa/Mellatra Tamrat

The Written Word And Song are Ways Women Voice Their Roles As A Force Of Social Change

 Life is a series of timelines in which women and men have strived to cause an improvement and transformation of the standard of living and dignity of women and therefore that of humans. 

Literature and music have been used as vehicles through which calls for social change have been shared. Social change is a deliberate process of creating and applying ideas, strategies, and actions to promote the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, and societies (class.waldenu.edu). 

My understanding of social change is when institutionalizing mechanisms allow people in society to be seen as stakeholders in community development. What stands out more for me is; participation by both women and men in development.  

Eve Ensler is a twenty-first century writer and in her book “In the body of the world” she points out the useful outcomes resulting from women empowerment . She mentions the “city of joy that follows the decision to involve women and a life force full of grace, gratitude, fierceness and readiness that replaces trauma and pain with safety, healing and a gathering of strength,” (Ensler, E. (2013). The Seneca falls declaration of 1848 is a nineteenth century document in which women spelt out “secure equal participation with men in the various trades, professions and commerce,” (Stanton, E. C., & Mott, L. (1848)).   Listening to the song “We are family” one can’t help but realize the benefits of  women empowerment. The lyrics replace  male supremacy with family. The traits of supposition of the supremacy of man, e.g., monopoly, apathy, repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her are addressed by showing instead how family can bring about fuller dignity and human potential when the women is allowed to assume an equal position. The two examples from literature by two women and the song “We are family” by sister Sledge use the centrality of women as a force of social change for society. 

The song uses three words which are “we are family.” It is a strong statement by female singers and the accompanying lyrics are simple to follow. As a sing along song it takes one on a descriptive path showcasing the good outcomes of working as a family. The song which is delivered in third person plural has a main theme around a family. This is also a setting providing the bedrock on which sense of worth, pride, unity, sharing, dignity, expression, contribution and happiness are rooted firmly. The lyrics are simple and are a sing along type that a listener can identify with. The three lines of the chorus: “we are a family, I got all my sisters with me, we are a family, get up everybody and sing,” attract immediate attention and listenership. The first three lines in the first verse “everyone can see we're together; as we walk on by; (FLY!) and we fly just like birds of a feather,” suggest a bold testament followed by an affirmation of togetherness and resolve when the singers say with an unapologetic taunt which is both ironic and a climax:  “I won't tell no lie; (ALL!) all of the people around us they say; can they be that close; just let me state for the record; we’re giving love in a family dose.”

 The song is a plot outlining such values like dignity, expression, contribution and happiness. It shows how easy it is for women to ensure dignity by presenting their ideas in a manner that is appealing; it is a means of expression that entertains and informs at the same time; and through the song, the singers have used music to rally many people. The lines in the second verse are motivational and go like this:  “Living life is fun and we've just begun; To get our share of the world's delights; (HIGH!) high hopes we have for the future; and our goal's in sight; (WE!) no we don't get depressed; here’s what we call our golden rule; Have faith in you and the things you do;You won't go wrong.”

          The chorus is repeated six times in the song and this emphasizes the central position of the word family. In the chorus the four lines are used by the singers to mobilize society and point them towards the ideals of a family in which the woman and man play mutually necessary roles: “we are family;I got all my sisters with me;we are family;get up everybody and sing.” The song was written by sister Sledge a group of sisters and it insists on values such as unity which is also a mainstay in the literature by Ensler, Stanton and Mott. The song continues to take the conversation on the roles of women in making a thriving community further.

            Life is a force full of grace, gratitude, safety, healing, dignity, expression, unity and happiness. These are redeeming qualities, that are emphasized in the two literature pieces and the song.  These galvanize a reader or listener to advocate for women emancipation too.

References:

class.Walden.edu. https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_14650398_1&content_id=_33165811_1

Ensler, E. (2013). In the body of the world [PDF]. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company. Retrieved from http://inthebodyoftheworld.com/pdf/EveEnsler-InTheBodyOfTheWorld-Excerpt.pdf.

Stanton, E. C., & Mott, L. (1848). Seneca Falls Declaration. Champaign, Ill: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Retrieved on march 1st 2016.

We are family lyrics. Retrieved from https://play.google.com/music/previewTsgmcnoezongwmfs5kfag67rcvylyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics. Retrieved on March 1st 2016.

Photo: UN Women/Bruno Demeocq