With RBG Gone, Will Access to Birth Control Go Away?

TLDR: No, access won’t go away, but if you have insurance, you should try “expensive” long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) birth control options right now. 

Notorious RBG a.k.a. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero to so many people. She fought for gender equality and abortion access for so many years. On abortion, she said, “This is something central to a woman's life, to her dignity. It's a decision that she must make for herself. And when the government controls that decision for her, she's being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices."

Whoever is approved to the Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) will never be as strong of a feminist and supporter of abortion rights as Justice Ginsburg was, especially if Amy Coney Barrett is officially named, because the Republicans are anti-abortion, and often anti-birth control as well.

The Alliance for Justice says, “Trump’s own statements make it clear that no individual would be on the list unless he or she had a commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade and taking healthcare away from millions of Americans.”

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have unenforced pre-Roe bans and Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee have “trigger bans”, meaning abortion would become illegal in all of these states immediately if Roe were overturned.

So make sure you are on effective birth control! The most effective permanent birth control is a vasectomy. But if you have a uterus and you want to have future babies and need contraception, then long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are the way to go. The most effective LARC is the implant, then the IUD with hormone, and the copper IUD. Then all the other hormonal methods in order of efficacy are the shot, the ring, the patch, the regular combination pill (has estrogen and progesterone), and the progesterone-only pill (POPs). 

Just as there was a rush to “get your IUD” before the current Republican administration came to office, there should be a rush to “get your IUD or implant” before the next Supreme Court Justice is confirmed.

If the Republicans maintain control of the Presidency and Senate, they will continue to attack the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A key component for women’s rights in the ACA was that the ACA mandated that any FDA approved birth control method for those with uteri would be covered by insurance with NO copay and no deductible. (If you are having any issues having your birth control delivered go to coverher.org, a project of the National Women’s Law Center that will help you fight to get your birth control).

If the Republicans maintain their control of the government, they will see it as a mandate to continue chipping away at birth control access and the ACA. So if you have been considering getting on a LARC, get your IUD or implant ASAP because the Supreme Court most likely will continue to rule that employers don't (or perhaps next they will say the government doesn't) have to cover birth control.

It’s fiscally stupid and morally wrong to not cover birth control. Birth control pills cost $15/pack or $180/yr. An abortion costs $800, vaginal delivery costs $10,000, C-section costs $40,000 and that’s not even including pre and postnatal care, ultrasounds, and the cost to the family and society of an unwanted pregnancy!

If the Republicans take away birth control coverage or the Supreme Court rules that it does not have to be covered, then birth control won’t go away. It will just get expensive for the end-user. Currently, insurance picks up the tab for those with insurance. 

If you don’t have insurance: 

If you don’t have insurance, look for the nearest Title X Family Planning Clinic in your state. They offer free birth control to those that qualify by low income. You can also apply to the Pandia Health Birth Control Fund.

If you are having difficulties getting your insurance to cover your birth control, contact the National Women’s Law Center at coverher.org via phone or email. They can walk you through fighting with your insurance to get your birth control covered.

At Pandia Health, we’re aiming to make birth control not just birth control but something you can use to control your periods, prevent anemia, and prevent ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancer. That way the anti-women, anti-birth control people can’t attack it. 

Learn more about #PeriodsOptional, how to decrease cancer, improve attendance and work productivity, decrease the landfill and the science and safety of skipping periods with medication here.