Catholic Bishops Target Birth Control Coverage

The undue clout of conservative Catholic bishops on our political system (um, separation of church and state, Stupak?) kept abortion coverage out of health care reform. Emboldened by that victory, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a new target: birth control coverage.

Birth control is classified and covered as a preventative measure because it, you know, prevents pregnancy, and the significant expenses associated with that condition. As a preventative measure, it will be covered under health reform. But the bishops, a group of sexist men who seem overly concerned with women's bodies, have sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services insisting that birth control isn't really a preventative measure. Their reasoning: pregnancy is not a disease. And scary birth control pills are bad for you.

This might be a good soundbite, but pregnancy is a medical condition, and even a "healthy pregnancy" has risks. It's also an expensive condition. By preventing pregnancy, contraception saves money. From an insurance standpoint, that's the point of preventative coverage: to prevent an unwanted condition that will cost more to insure than stopping it from occurring in the first place.

I had to laugh at some of the attempts at anti-contraception fear-mongering: "Progestin-only contraceptives — mini pills, injections, and implants—have been associated with menstrual cycle disturbance, 'excessive weight gain,' hair loss, and depression." Yeah: pregnancy most definitely causes "menstrual cycle disturbance" and "excessive weight gain," while post-partum depression strikes many new mothers.

Regardless, I don't feel the need to correct the Catholic bishops', in some cases, unfounded rhetoric that exaggerates the dangers of birth control beyond scientific fact. Because even when it comes to more serious side effects the Catholic bishops tout and those that contraception truly have, we can say pretty much every medication ever invented has potential negatives to it. That doesn't mean we shouldn't use them when we have a need. Moreover, fear-mongering aside, contraception is approved for safety by the FDA just like any other drug. Get your morality from the Catholic Church if you want, but nobody should be using its line on contraceptives to make decisions about the medical risks and benefits of a drug.

Besides, do I really need to remind everybody of the dangers of pregnancy complications and the high rate of maternal mortality? Just in case: an average two to three woman die every day in this great American nation from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications. And a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy is more likely to lack access to the best medical care, making affordable preventative measures that much more important.

Sign this petition to tell the Department of Health and Human Services not to bow to ideological pressure and re-classify birth control. Just because Congress let itself be controlled by a bunch of conservative bishops doesn't mean we should let them make further inroads in our reproductive care.

Photo credit: MonkeyMyshkin