On July 8, 2020, in a 7-2 ruling decision, the Supreme Court upheld a Trump administration rule that allows employers to restrict access to birth control coverage due to moral or religious objections. Over 120,000 women will lose their coverage.
Birth control is used by millions of women. Besides using birth control as a contraceptive, women also use it for a variety of other health reasons including but not limited to:
- Regulating hormones
- Regulating menstrual cycles
- Alleviating excruciating period cramp pain
- Helping with migraines
- Treating acne
- Treating symptoms of Endometriosis and PCOS, etc.
The use of birth control has relieved pain and discomfort for countless women, with one woman saying that “the use of birth control has helped [her] period go from absolutely intolerable to bearable.” Yep. One tiny pill helps her period (a biological thing that happens every month) go from unbearable to livable.
Abby's younger sister relies on birth control to manage her period pain, stating “I used to get really heavy periods and be in a lot of pain. I ended up going to the doctor for loss of strength and shortness of breath. It turned out that I had anemia. I literally had anemia due to the heavy flow I experienced on my period. The doctor prescribed birth control not to use as a contraceptive, but used to decrease my flow on my periods. Using birth control daily has helped me in my life a lot and keeps me out of pain and feeling healthy.”
(If you’re looking for more stories about how birth control has helped women, Byrdie wrote an article sharing 11 women’s stories about birth control.)
A pain alleviating and often life-altering treatment option was taken away from women. This treatment option helps with managing a natural biological phenomenon, a period, that they can't help having. (and if they can “stop” their periods, many of them use birth control to do so.)
This choice shouldn't have been taken away from women, especially when they don’t even have the choice to have the situation in the first place.
If you want to talk to your workplace about providing more options for women, we’re so proud of you. We’re rooting for you.