Group 1: Laura, Grace, Mikayla, Emma, Darrian, Caitlin, Alisia
Women’s Health: The Ongoing Battle
Women all over the world have and continue to struggle with access to affordable health care. In an article from The American Bar Association, author Mary Gerisch expresses how in the United States access to health care continues to be neglected as a fundamental human right.
The government doesn’t seem to take the health, accessibility, and income of the general public into consideration when making laws surrounding health care. Women continue to struggle to gain the health rights reserved to them, often having limited resources to get proper and necessary care.
Access and Affordability
Accessibility to women’s health services and the affordability of these services seems to continue to be the largest problem surrounding the topic of women’s health care.
Programs such as Title X and Planned Parenthood, and laws such as the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, have helped transform health care by allowing women to access medical care and preventative health services with limited to no copays or deductibles. The Trump Administrations’ threats to cut funding to programs like these imposes on the rights of women and poses a threat to their well-being.
ObamaCare provides women with access to necessary preventative care in an affordable manner. It has also aided in improving the quality of care for a larger, more demographically and socioeconomically diverse audience.
The demand for women’s health care continues to expand. It is estimated in a journal by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) that the demand for health care will increase by 8% in the year 2020. This increase in demand will in turn increase the importance of providing affordable and quality health services to women throughout the U.S.
Feminine Hygiene Shouldn’t Have to be a Choice
Feminine hygiene is another topic of conversation. Women have been given no other choice than to pay the “pink tax”, a 13 percent charge on feminie products, such as tampons and sanitary napkins. Women are being taxed for products necessary for their biological needs. Considering these products are used monthly, this tax makes it harder than it already is to afford these products, especially for women of lower income.
The New York Times mentions that the yearly tax on pads, tampons, and diapers adds up to around $76 million. The argument made against the elimination of the tax is that the economy will lose money, but when some women have to make the monthly decision to either buy food or feminine products, the economic loss seems like the smaller issue.
Reproductive Rights Are Fundamental Rights
Reproductive rights are legal rights. They should give every woman the right to choose what to do with her body. All women should have access to the information and tools they need to make the appropriate decisions for their reproductive health. Unfortunately, women’s reproductive rights are constantly being violated. Many women are denied services, forcing them to receive poor quality treatment.
There are many facilities and organizations, such as Planned Parenthood that are fighting for safe and affordable women’s health. The federal government took action in 1970 by creating the Title X Family Planning Program, which has been providing low income families with health care plans and preventative health care services.
Trump’s implementation of the “Gag Rule” will cut funding to Planned Parenthood, which 41% of women rely on. Planned Parenthood provides more than just abortions. They focus on matters such as cancer screenings, STD testing, and birth control. Without these affordable health centers women in low income families won’t have access to the health care they need.
Participation is Powerful
Community participation is needed to influence change. Here are some ways you can make a difference:
- Electing candidates that show concern for and prioritize women’s health
- Use platforms such as, Act For Women, to push your local congress members to sign policies, such as the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA)
- Remain informed with current women’s health policies and laws
- Get involved with organizations that are fighting for equality in women’s health, such as #Axthepinktax or the “Protect X” campaign
Additional credits to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the NCBI, The Gaurdian, OBAMACARE Facts, Women’s Voice For The Earth, and Status of Women In The States