Cummings 1

Molly Cummings
Mrs. Grimaldi
HELA 3
18 February 2016
Access To Birth Control
On average, roughly 49% of pregnancies are intended, while 31% of pregnancies are
mistimed and the other 20% are unwanted (Alan Guttmacher Institute). That said, more than half
of pregnancies are unintended. Access to birth control would promote economic security,
education opportunities, and help prevent numerous types of diseases. An easy pill, implant, ring,
or shot can support a woman, male, or family who is not ready to take on the responsibility.
More often than not, a woman will unexpectedly have an unplanned pregnancy and will
not be ready for the liability of a child. Unwanted or untimely childbearing is one of several
forces which are driving many families into poverty (Nixon). What many families arent aware
of is the financial side that comes with an infant. People are often seen to get carried away and
do not understand the responsibility of taking care of a child. Many women are not aware that
raising a child, on average, costs $245,000 and are not economically stable enough to take care
of the child. Making access to birth control easier would allow woman to choose a path in life
they are capable to manage and not have to rush into starting their adulthood because of a bad
decision they made at a young age.
Not only does pregnancy affect a woman, but it also affects the men involved as well.
When having children, a parent has to take out significant hours of their day, especially with
younger children, to watch and take care of the them. This doesn't always allow the parent(s)

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involved to focus on their educational attainment. Birth control availability would increase both
high school and college rates (Murphy). Making birth control easier to get for females would
allow both the male and female to get the education they need required for a job that could
eventually support a family before they choose to have the baby. Young adults tend to have a
hard time understanding the cost of raising a new born and giving it the necessities the infant
needs to live in a healthy environment. This ideal environment and life often would come from a
good education experience.
A woman should be able to choose what she thinks is right for both her body and future.
No woman can call herself free who doesnt control her body (Sanger). Birth control shouldnt
be available to woman because certain religions do not believe in it. Those who oppose family
planning cannot be permitted to allow their ideology to dictate others health care options. In
2011, it was estimated that 1.5 million woman use birth control to help with medical issues
(Wind). Many people against easier access to birth control do not think of the medical side of
preventing various types of diseases and cancers. Birth control should be available for the
women who think it would benefit them and, it should not be banned by the people who only
look on the religious downside of this particular type of family planning.
Birth control should be easily accessible by women. Women should be able to choose what
they want for their body and not let others dictate what they think is best for them. Birth control
would allow families to make sure they are financially ready before taking on a huge
responsibility of taking care of a child. It would also allow (soon to be) parents to make sure they
have the education needed to have a sustainable job to take care of a child. Birth control could be
looked at as morally wrong by some people, but it can also be beneficial to a woman for non-

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contraceptive reasons. The option should be there for women to be put on a form of birth control
because a woman should have total control over her body and her lifestyle she chooses for her
future.

Work Cited
The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), Fulfilling the Promise: Public Policy and U.S. Family
Planning Clinics, New York: AGI, 2000.
Murphy, Laura W. "There Should Be Universal Birth Control Coverage." Birth Control. Ed.
Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Contraceptive Coverage Should Be the Rule, Not the
Exception."

2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.

Nixon, Richard, and Rachel Rampell. "Want to Fight Poverty? Expand Access to Contraception."
<i>Washington Post</i>. The Washington Post, 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Sanger, Margaret. "Women's Right to Birth Control." Woman and the New Race. New York, NY:
Brentano's, 1920. Rpt. in Women's Rights. Ed. Shasta Gaughen. San Diego: Greenhaven
Press, 2003. Contemporary Issues Companion. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web. 10

Feb. 2016.

Wind, Rebecca. "MANY AMERICAN WOMEN USE BIRTH CONTROL PILLS FOR
NONCONTRACEPTIVE REASONS." <i>Many American Women Use Birth
Control
Pills for Noncontraceptive Reasons</i>. Guttmacher Institute, 15 Nov.
2011. Web. 19
Feb. 2016.