This is starting to tick me off. Too many parents are not taking advantage of the Gardasil vaccine — which prevents cancer. CANCER. Come on, people. Seriously. (Yahoo Health)- Hopefully people aren’t avoiding vaccinating their children with Gardasil due to “promiscuity” worries. ’Cause that’s been thoroughly debunked! (Slate Double X)
- Despite the gross miscarriage of justice that was Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the Obama Administration is actually kicking butt in the fight for contraception coverage. (Think Progress)
- Oh look, Arizona Republicans are trying to pass new and horrible abortion legislation! There’s something you don’t see every day. #Sarcasm (Tucson Weekly)
- Could the future of birth control possibly include a pill that would allow men to have “dry” (fluid free) orgasms????? No babies and no fretting over that dastardly “wet spot” on your 800 thread count sheets! Dreams really might come true after all. (The Atlantic)
- Ever think about the temperature of the place you store condoms and other birth control? If not, it’s probably a good idea to start! #BetterSafeThanSorry (Bustle)
- So, we’ve all heard of ISIS, right? Vast Islamist extremist terrorist organization that kidnaps and tortures and beheads people, rapes and sexually enslaves women, and commits mass executions and promotes unspeakable horror and terror everywhere they infiltrate? Well, a Republican in South Dakota says Planned Parenthood is like … way worse. (Slate Double X)
- If you have health insurance and are still paying for your birth control, you need to read this! (Time)
Tag Archives: co-pay
Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown
The fight over medication-induced abortions continues here in Arizona. (NYT)- Sure, the birth control pill is great for keeping your womb empty, but did you know it also makes sex hotter? #WinWin (Slate XX)
- Birth control without a co-pay looks pretty much doomed thanks to the chumps at Hobby Lobby. (Slate)
- Things will only get harder on the access front for birth control if Hobby Lobby wins this case. Best of luck even talking to your doctor about birth control if you have insurance. (Think Progress)
- Jon Stewart’s rant about Hobby Lobby’s (referred to here as “Jesus Christ Superstore”) shenanigans is epic. (The Wire)
- The one question that confounds so many of us in the midst of this “religious liberty” Hobby Lobby debacle is this: WHY THE HELL ARE WE STILL ARGUING ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL IN 2014??? (CNN)
- Teenagers are positively brimming with sexual responsibility these days! (RH Reality Check)
- The asinine law (requiring admitting privileges at local hospitals) that caused 16 abortion providers to close in Texas has been upheld by a federal appeals court. (Time)
- An “abortion doula” speaks on the range of emotions involved in helping women terminate pregnancies. Very powerful, moving article. (The Atlantic)
- Are we ever going to make male birth control happen? (Bustle)
Let’s Talk Contraception: Birth Control Pills — Not Just for Preventing Pregnancy
There has been a lot of political posturing recently about whether the government should require health insurance to provide birth control without a co-pay as part of a preventive health care package. So many people, including politicians, can only “see” the contraceptive side, which is pretty important, by the way. Approximately 15.8 in 100,000 women in the United States die from pregnancy or pregnancy-related issues yearly, and that number has doubled in the past 25 years. We have one of the worst maternal death rates of all developed nations, right near the bottom of the list.
Birth control pills can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including painful periods, acne, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids.
But putting all that aside, let’s look at the how oral contraceptives pills (OCPs) are actually used in this country, and for what reasons besides contraception. You may argue that many birth control pills are only approved for contraception purposes by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so other uses are not valid. But many drugs that may have narrow conditions of approved use are often prescribed off-label by physicians when they have data and information about how effective they can be for other conditions where not much else works.
According to a 2011 study using data from the 2006–2008 National Survey for Family Growth, the Guttmacher Institute reported that 14 percent of all women using birth control pills — that’s 1.5 million women — use them for purposes other than preventing pregnancy. Granted, 86 percent of OCP users report using them for birth control. But over the years, these OCPs have helped many people as treatments for dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, endometriosis, menstrual-related migraines, acne, uterine fibroids, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Continue reading
Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown
Blaming women for the spread of STDs is an age-old tradition.
- If you love food and birth control, and wanna get ’em both at the same place, you should eat here. (LA Times)
- Millions of women now pay nothing for birth control. It feels so good to type those words. (Mother Jones)
- Taking woman-hating to a new level: An anti-Obamacare cartoon posted on the website Comically Incorrect claims that men will get more sexually transmitted diseases from “women who now get free birth control” thanks to the health care reform law. This is one of the dumbest, most misogynistic things I’ve seen in a long time. If STDs spread, it’s women’s fault! Not the men who gave them the disease! Yeah. OK. ’Cause men have no responsibility in protecting themselves from STDs. Evil women put them at risk and they’re simply helpless!! (Time)
- Paid FMLA for pregnant women and those of us with chronic illnesses? YES. PLEASE. (RH Reality Check)
- So far, there are nine states where you might need “abortion insurance.” Luckily, AZ isn’t one of them. Yet. (ABC News)
- Not that we aren’t fighting our own uphill battles here. (Arizona Daily Star)
- Abortion providers make huge sacrifices to care for women. And we are so thankful. (NY Mag)
- Even after having women (their peers!) stand in front of them telling their emotional stories of rape and miscarriage, Republicans weren’t moved to keep women from having to further endure these atrocities. (USA Today)
- Congressional dufus Steve Stockman (R-Texas, naturally) is so pro-life that he wishes “babies had guns” to kill their mothers who are considering abortion. Is this real life? I mean, he does know that a fetus can’t survive if the carrier of the fetus is dead, right? (MSNBC)
- I’m not a scientist or anything, but if birth control is less effective for women over 176 pounds, why don’t they do something to make it more effective? (Jezebel)
World AIDS Day: The Affordable Care Act Can Help in Creating the Healthiest Generation Ever
Editor’s Note: The following piece is a guest blog post from Planned Parenthood Arizona President and CEO Bryan Howard.
Yesterday was World AIDS Day and this year, as we work to raise awareness around HIV and gather support for those who are living with HIV/AIDS, we should also take a moment to recognize the profound impact that the Affordable Care Act will have on prevention, detection, and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
One in 5 people with HIV is unaware of his or her infection.
With the Affordable Care Act, 1.1 million Americans living with HIV will no longer be denied health insurance coverage because HIV is a “pre-existing condition.” More people living with HIV/AIDS will have access to affordable health insurance coverage to get the care they need, and millions of Americans will have access to preventive health care services that include HIV testing without a co-pay.
There is no doubt that we have come a long way in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially given the advances of the ACA, yet the epidemic continues to affect millions of people throughout the world with some communities impacted more than others. In the United States, more than 56,000 people become infected with HIV each year. About one-third of new HIV cases are in young people, ages 13 to 29.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are more than 15,000 Arizonans living with HIV/AIDS with some of the highest rates in Maricopa and Pima counties.
As the largest nonprofit sexual health care provider in Arizona, Planned Parenthood is committed to reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic by providing nonjudgmental, comprehensive, high-quality reproductive health care to all women, men, and young people.
Planned Parenthood Arizona has health centers throughout Arizona that provide a range of health care services, including HIV testing, STD testing and treatment, cancer screenings, birth control, vaccinations, and primary care. We also serve as an expert resource in medically accurate sexuality education.
As a trusted health care provider and sexual health educator, we strive to educate women, men, and young people about how to prevent HIV and other STDs. In addition to diligent condom use and regular STD screening, practicing abstinence and having one partner who has no other intimate partners can also help to reduce the risk of getting an STD (including HIV).
So, today I ask you to join Planned Parenthood in fighting for the healthiest generation ever.
About Bryan Howard: Bryan Howard is president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona and a board member at Reproductive Health Technology Project, a Washington, D.C.-based research organization.
Celebrating Affordable and Accessible Contraception
The following guest post comes to us via Morganne Rosenhaus, community engagement coordinator for Planned Parenthood Arizona.
How appropriate that, today, World Contraception Day is only five days before the health insurance exchange opens. Not only can we celebrate the advances we have made in contraceptive development over the years, but we can also rejoice around the fact that birth control is now affordable and accessible to even more women.
Obamacare allows you to visit Planned Parenthood for the same preventive health care — with no co-pays!
Let’s start by celebrating the fact that women have options. Between rings, patches, pills, injections, IUDs (intrauterine devices), and implants — a woman can find a method that works best for her lifestyle. Of course, the search for the “perfect” method will continue — the contraceptive that not only prevents pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, but also tastes like chocolate. Fingers crossed!
Next, let’s take a moment to celebrate the fact that women have access to these methods. Through the Affordable Care Act (also known as health care reform or Obamacare), all health insurance plans must provide specific, no-cost, preventive health care coverage to women, which includes … drum roll … birth control!
Free birth control?!
On August 1, 2012, Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives became available to women for free (or without co-pay), and starting in January 2014, this benefit will apply to most private health insurance plans and health insurance plans through the exchanges.
As with all good news, there are always a few limitations. In the case of no-cost birth control, there are two things to watch out for:
- Women who are participants or beneficiaries in group health plans sponsored by religious employers might not be able to access this benefit. Why? As of August 1, 2013, group health plans established or maintained by certain religious employers, and insurance coverage provided in connection with such plans, are exempt from the requirement to cover contraceptive services.
- Yes, insurance companies are required to have all FDA-approved methods of contraceptives available. However, the specific brand of birth control pills that you like might be covered by one health care insurance plan and not another. It depends …
Some people might be thinking, “This is a great benefit, but I don’t have insurance, so it doesn’t really do me any good.”
Not true! The exciting news is, if you don’t have any kind of health insurance, the health insurance exchange opens on October 1, only five days from now. Through the health insurance exchange, you can find a plan that fits your needs and your budget. Plus, no matter what level of health insurance you choose, birth control without co-pay is included. Whew!
Now you might be thinking, “If I have health insurance, I guess I don’t need to come to Planned Parenthood anymore.”
Not true! Planned Parenthood accepts most insurance plans, both through the health insurance exchanges and private insurance. Whether you have insurance or not, Planned Parenthood is here for you.
Happy World Contraception Day, and cheers to more accessible and affordable contraception here in the United States!
Read more about Obamacare here: www.plannedparenthood.org/healthinsurance
Arm Yourself Against Genital Warts and Cancer!
Vaccines are pretty nifty: Injecting a few tiny particles stimulates your immune system to build antibodies, which can bind to and help destroy harmful pathogens. A well-oiled immune system can neutralize these invaders before they have a chance to make you sick! In the war against infectious disease, we should be boosting our immune systems at every opportunity, and vaccines are one of the best weapons in our arsenal.
You’ve probably heard of HPV, or human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts and certain cancers. HPV has the dubious honor of being the most common sexually transmitted pathogen — some call it “the common cold of STDs.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “HPV is so common that nearly all sexually-active men and women get it at some point in their lives. This is true even for people who only have sex with one person in their lifetime.”
You might not know how easy it is to contract HPV — vaccination allows you to take charge of your health.
There are many strains of HPV. “Low-risk” strains can cause genital warts, which aren’t usually harmful but might be upsetting. “High-risk” strains can cause cancers of the cervix, anus, vagina, vulva, penis, mouth, and throat. The good news is that a vaccine called Gardasil protects against HPV-6 and HPV-11, which cause 90 percent of genital warts, and HPV-16 and HPV-18, which cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of anal cancers.
With protection available against a common virus that can cause upsetting warts or fatal cancer, you’d think that everyone would be lining up for Gardasil shots — but, unfortunately, vaccination rates are very low in the United States. Many of us opt out of vaccination for ourselves or our children because we don’t realize how easily HPV is acquired, or we minimize its potential to harm.
HPV is easier to contract than you might think, so if you think the risk is too small to outweigh other justifications against immunization, read on — you might not be aware of just how easy it is to acquire this wily virus. Vaccination is an empowering option for those of us who want to do all we can to take our health into our own hands. And, by being immunized, we can play a role in driving cancer-causing viruses into extinction, which would be feasible with sufficiently improved vaccination rates. Continue reading