These people should be using condom which can be free from planned parenthood, but they don’t. And since STDs in general are on the rise, then obviously people aren’t practicing safe sex.

Also, consider that people who need birth control are people who have children but don’t want more. Or those in monogamous relationships but don’t want kids?

Sure the cost has to be taken over somewhere, but why should it be the consumer? It costs way more for AIDS medication, wel baby care, etc, than just preventing the problems.

If the insurance company pays for it, which they generally do, they pass the costs on to the policyholder.

If the government pays for it, the costs, plus the bureaucracy, get passed on to the taxpayer.

I am not opposed to the government providing birth control at no charge, but please, let’s not call it free.

Don
http://mtnhealthinsurance.com

In MN if you are a college student, you automatically qualify for the free birth control.

Check into your local department of health. I bet its just that they do not advertise that this is a cheap/free service that they can offer you…

That said, it is subsidised by our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and if you’re on a pension/welfare it’s only a couple of dollars.

>But wouldn’t it be easier to teach personal responsibility then hand out birth control.

No, not in the real world, not if “personal responsibility” is defined as abstaining from sex with one’s spouse because one is short of money that month. That is not easy at all, even for diligent people with good self-control, and the consequences for a single slip-up can be very large indeed.

Contraception for fertile people with opposite-sex partners (which is a huge percentage of the population) is basic health care, and there is nothing unreasonable about expecting a health plan to cover it, particularly because it saves the insurance company money. To the extent that US health care is a free market, this is a market failure.

And what about those who are taking medications or have medical issues that make it highly likely that any unplanned pregnancies would end badly? Pregnancy might not be a disease, but even for healthy adults pregnancy is hard on one’s body and has many risks — another good reason women shouldn’t be forced to chose between abstinence or popping out a dozen kids.

Birth control isn’t just about letting teens have sex with fewer consequences. It’s a concern for all men and women who have sex, not to mention everyone else who has to face the consequences of not just unwanted children but also the many issues raised by unwanted pregnancy itself. Let’s not forget how important birth control has been in helping women compete with men in the work force, enabling us not just to have fulfilling careers aside from motherhood, but also to support ourselves and our families without having to depend on men (and particularly abusive ones).

Now, I know that we can pay for our own birth control. However, what bothers me is 1. that so many people still want to take away birth control altogether, 2. that the birth control debate seems to focus so much on shaming minors who make ‘bad decisions’ instead of on giving choices to consenting (and often married) adults, and 3. that it seems that both in the government and even in private insurance companies, ideology is often more important than what should be basic financial sense — not to mention a bit more compassion for all the women out there who can’t afford the birth control but can’t afford to get pregnant, either.