Beware: My Feminism is Showing.
Jun. 11th, 2007 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starzkiI started today with a list of chores that needed to be done.
Number 1 on my list was refilling my birth control pill prescription. I didn't know my refill number, so I didn't go through the automated system and talked to the pharmacist instead. I was informed that because of an act signed by my US Congress members, the birth control that I had been buying for $7 a month has now increased to $40 a month!
Seriously, this is almost a 600% increase. I will now conceivably spend nearly $500 a year on birth control (which is cheaper than a baby, but still).
I did a little Interwebbing and found that it was the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that reduced birth control funding to colleges and universities. So thanks to Mr. Bush's fucking around with the surplus money in 2001 and because of the ridiculous cost of a ridiculous war we were conned into fighting, I may not be able to afford birth control.
What follows may not be palatable to staunch conservatives who have specific ideas about the way young women should think, feel, act, or even discuss, but it's still the truth:
So this Act of Congress is basically telling me that politicians don't consider post-secondary education for women as something worth supporting. This might seem like a bit of a leap, but bear with me. First of all, young women are generally adults when they enter college, usually already or just about to turn 18 during their first year. As an adult, she can make adult decisions about her life and her body. Furthermore, college is expensive. Sure, some Mommy's and Daddy's have the extra dough lying around to educate their kids, but I doubt this is true for the majority of students. So this Act takes away the consideration that young female adults who do not have a lot of extra money to spend because they are finding a way to pay for further education and become functioning, working members of society have to find even more money if they chose to have an adult relationship.
Ugh. I could go on into a whole other rant about health care (and trust me, I have the material), but I'm too pissed off and exhausted to go on right now. I just get so mad when people who know better and want better simply can't afford to better take care of their own bodies and health.
Number 1 on my list was refilling my birth control pill prescription. I didn't know my refill number, so I didn't go through the automated system and talked to the pharmacist instead. I was informed that because of an act signed by my US Congress members, the birth control that I had been buying for $7 a month has now increased to $40 a month!
Seriously, this is almost a 600% increase. I will now conceivably spend nearly $500 a year on birth control (which is cheaper than a baby, but still).
I did a little Interwebbing and found that it was the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that reduced birth control funding to colleges and universities. So thanks to Mr. Bush's fucking around with the surplus money in 2001 and because of the ridiculous cost of a ridiculous war we were conned into fighting, I may not be able to afford birth control.
What follows may not be palatable to staunch conservatives who have specific ideas about the way young women should think, feel, act, or even discuss, but it's still the truth:
Guess what? I like sex. I really, really do. I especially like sex with scribefigaro. And ladies, let me tell you, writing is not where his true talent lies. Whoo boy!
scribefigaro. And ladies, let me tell you, writing is not where his true talent lies. Whoo boy!Guess what else? I don't like babies. I like puppies, but babies do nothing for me. I like kids once they can talk and hold a conversation for more than a minute. I'm not saying that I'll never have kids, but I'm definitely not having one in the near future. And birth control is helping me with this major goal in my life.
Guess what more? My main reason for taking birth control is medical. My hormone levels tend to bounce around, making me very unpleasant to be around, if I don't have the stabilizing influence of birth control pills.
So this Act of Congress is basically telling me that politicians don't consider post-secondary education for women as something worth supporting. This might seem like a bit of a leap, but bear with me. First of all, young women are generally adults when they enter college, usually already or just about to turn 18 during their first year. As an adult, she can make adult decisions about her life and her body. Furthermore, college is expensive. Sure, some Mommy's and Daddy's have the extra dough lying around to educate their kids, but I doubt this is true for the majority of students. So this Act takes away the consideration that young female adults who do not have a lot of extra money to spend because they are finding a way to pay for further education and become functioning, working members of society have to find even more money if they chose to have an adult relationship.
Therefore, a young woman who is barely scraping by in college and can't afford the extra expenditure for birth control has the "choice" to abstain from sexual relationships with men (I guess women are always an option) or to risk pregnancy which might force her into even more difficult choices that often lead to women quitting school and missing a chance to fully explore what her mind is capable of. Sure, there are condoms, but let me tell you, those things aren't cheap, either. And, personally, I like the pill/condom combination to make extra sure that I remain baby-free.
Ugh. I could go on into a whole other rant about health care (and trust me, I have the material), but I'm too pissed off and exhausted to go on right now. I just get so mad when people who know better and want better simply can't afford to better take care of their own bodies and health.
