With Liberty and Birth Control for All (Without a Co-Pay)

Look at all the pretty BC!

Thanks to President Obama and SCOTUS (and no thanks to House Republicans who are STILL trying to repeal the health care act), birth control will be available without a co-pay through all insurance programs beginning August 1.

Wanna hear about my experience with birth control? OK, good.

Right around when I turned 17, after a very mature chat with my boyfriend at the time, I decided to go on birth control. That night, I told my mom we should talk. But I was embarrassed; I couldn’t say the words. So my mom said “What is it? Do you want to go on birth control?” I nodded, and that was that. Of course, most moms don’t have the psychic powers that my mom has, so my story is unique. My mommy and I are also extremely close; many daughters don’t have the kind of sex-positive, feminist mother that I grew up with.

I’m 22 now. I’ve been on birth control for almost 5 years. And my mom paid for it that whole time. Without question; without a second thought. Because BC is standard. In my family, BC is common sense. If you’re going to have sex, you’re going on birth control. And guess what else? Here are some condoms that you also have to use. Thanks, Mom. I didn’t want to have a baby at 17. I don’t want to have a baby now. It’s not complicated.

Under our insurance, the cost came to $24 a month: that’s more than $1,400 over the past five years. That’s $1,400 that my mom couldn’t spend on groceries or gas, or her kids’ college education, or her credit card bills. $1,400 that she spent, without hesitation, because that’s how important BC is. And now, somehow, that cost will decrease to ZERO.

Birth control without a co-pay means that someone understands this (non-)issue. Birth control isn’t a political or social issue—it’s basic health care and an economic concern. Insurance coverage for birth control should be compulsory. And now, it is.