Health insurance companies must provide birth control

Women+protest+for+reproductive+rights%2C+including+access+to+birth+control.

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Women protest for reproductive rights, including access to birth control.

Maria Maroko

Whether or not birth control should be provided to women by health insurers has been a point of great controversy. It is clear that birth control is in fact essential to women’s health, and should therefore be provided to whomever requires it.

According to BBC News, people that oppose birth control argue that it encourages sexual promiscuity. They also argue that it should not be considered a part of women’s health arguing sex must take place for it to be useful.

There are numerous benefits to birth control besides preventing pregnancy. According to WebMD, birth control can help diminish painful menstruation cramps and migraines, It can also help with symptoms of Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) by making periods more regular. It also decreases the risk of endometrial cancer if taken regularly.

More than half of Viagra prescriptions are covered by insurance, while many women still have to pay for birth control out of pocket, according to ABC news. Both birth control and viagra are related to sexual issues, but only the one men use is considered essential to personal health by insurers.

Birth control should be covered by health insurance because it is necessary to women’s’ health. Despite what people who oppose coverage of birth control argue, there are uses to birth control outside of preventing pregnancy. Overall, it is clear that birth control is a part of women’s health, and should be covered by insurance.