Posted September 5, 2012 by Margaret in HEALTH & FITNESS

News Flash: Birth Control Banned in the U.S. Beginning 2013

News Flash: Birth Control Banned in the U.S. Beginning 2013 ◊

by Margaret Jankowski ◊

SpriteNews News Flash: Oral contraception, the prescription birth control know as “the pill,” will soon be banned in the U.S.

The national ban on the single most used prophylactic among women in the U.S. is set to begin on Monday, January 21, 2013. Pharmaceutical companies are readying supplies in anticipation of a stiff uptake in demand over the next few months.

The shelf life of birth control pills is eighteen to twenty-four months, so women fearing abstinence, or those with allergies to latex and polyurethane, are advised to consult their physician prior to the ban taking effect.

Betty Scobell, Director of Planned Parenthood in Seattle, Washington, recommends women “get to know a lot of doctors” in order to ensure their reproductive rights are protected. Scobell further remarked, “it’s important that women’s health rights be protected, which is why Planned Parenthood, as part of an effort to push back against this archaic ban, will direct monies to assist women in need of posting bail if arrested for prescription-related fraud.”

Women, and men for that matter, considering an attempt to stock up before the ban, should consider two important factors.

…two years of oral contraceptives can be very costly.

First, two years of oral contraceptives can be very costly. Women seeking prescription birth control will likely have to forgo, or at the very least choose, between necessities like potato chips, chewing gum or birth control, but not all three. Considering the daily cost for oral contraceptives, as high as 30 cents per day (not including any fee to see your doctor), two years worth of oral contraceptives could cost as much as $219. This is not a typo. $219 –while sky-high– is accurate for a full two-year, shelf-life supply of oral contraception. Unfortunately, for some women it may come down to a choice between contraception or cake. Don’t expect to have your cake and contraception too.

Secondly, women’s clinics offering free exams, free consultations and free birth control prescriptions, may find the second factor of “free everything,” even more costly still. While the math doesn’t exactly add up, what’s important is “what’s at stake.” Sound math — not important. Women’s health and reproductive rights — important. Use of words like “important” and “rights” do add up to higher costs, or total inaccessibility, even when offered free of charge.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,
“…[the war on women] has gone from bad to worse.”

In a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and House Minority Leader Sen. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), said of the upcoming ban, “It’s gone from bad to worse. Before the ban, the ‘war on women’ prevented women from getting birth control altogether. And after the ban, women will be prevented from getting birth control altogether.”

When asked what was meant by their convoluted joint statement, considering birth control is widely available in pharmacy retailers like Target and Walmart for as little as $9 a month, Reid replied, “I have it on good authority that Walmart and Target haven’t sold birth control, for any price, for more than ten Romneys.” When asked if he meant to say “ten years,” Reid replied, “I’m insulted by such racism.”