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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Expect a massive shitstorm over this
Posted by Jill | 5:37 AM
Not that it will make a difference to the teabagger population which has already turned its back on actual science, but the Institute of Medicine has advocated that insurance companies be mandated to provide contraception coverage in the interest of having better-spaced pregnancies to foster healthier mothers and healthier babies (NYT link):
A leading medical advisory panel recommended on Tuesday that all insurers be required to cover contraceptives for women free of charge as one of several preventive services under the new health care law.

[snip]

Administration officials, who say they hope to act on the recommendations by Aug. 1, are receptive to the idea of removing cost as a barrier to birth control — a longtime goal of advocates for women’s rights and experts on women’s health.

But the recommendations immediately reignited debate over the government’s role in reproductive health. Women’s groups and medical professionals applauded the recommendations while the Roman Catholic Church raised strenuous objections.

Why does the Catholic Church get to dictate national policy? If we're grandstanding about sharia law, how about we put Papal law under the same category?
In addition to contraceptive services for women, the panel recommended that the government require health plans to cover screening to detect domestic violence; screening for H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS; and counseling and equipment to promote breastfeeding, including the free rental of breast pumps.

The panel also said all insurers should be required to cover screening for gestational diabetes in pregnant women; DNA testing for the human papillomavirus as part of cervical cancer screening; and annual preventive-care visits. Such visits could include prenatal care and preconception care, to make sure women are healthy when they become pregnant.

Defending its recommendations on contraceptive coverage, the panel said that nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States were unintended, and that about 40 percent of unintended pregnancies ended in abortion. Thus, it said, greater use of contraception would reduce the rates of unintended pregnancy, teenage pregnancy and abortion.

Gee, ya think? Of course the objections of thd denizens of wingnuttia to contraception have nothing to do with babies or life and everything to do with punishing the dirty sluts living in poverty. Check out these comments that were posted on MSNBC.com's article yesterday:
"Here is a birth controll method that will work:

•No welfare after the first child.
•No welfare after 2 years lifetime.
"

"I don't understand why birth control is a cost that needs to be covered by the government. People don't choose to get sick, you can choose to have unpredicted sex and get pregnant. I know you don't choose to get pregnant but it turns out if you don't have sex you will get pregnant 0% of the time, there isn't another medical condition that can boost that kind of prevention rate."

We already have a no-copay birth control---say NO

Maybe we shouldn't pay for welfare for people that can't adhere to simple birth control practice... see how many pregnancies happen when these girls (and guys) know that there will be no help for them in they are stupid enough to have unpredicted sex and get knocked up

And the single most idiotic comment of them all:
m of two minds about this. On the one hand, it's cheaper to pay for the birth control then for a pregnancy and/or abortion. On the other hand, I don't use birth control and see no reason why my premiums should go up to pay for everybody else's, when it's an expense they ought to be able to factor in. I think the definition of insurance is to pay for something unexpected. I have no problem with the yearly preventatives because in comparison those are lower in price and save more money in the long run.

I'll bet that last commenter has never had a blood transfusion, or a stent installed, or a coronary bypass, either. But I'll bet she's not sitting up at night grinding her teeth in rage about having to pay permiums to cover these procedures in other people.

What comes through in these comments (and the many others I haven't quoted) is the way contraception is linked with "sluttishness" ("Just say no") and the fundamental inconsistencies of wanting women who have sex to be punished by pregnancy, and at the same time have no help with said pregnancy. And it's this dichotomy, which we hear verbalized over and over again by those who profess to only be concerned with TEH BAYBEEEEZZZZZ, that shows them to less concerned with America's children than with thinking Eve wasn't punished enough for eating that apple.

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16 Comments:
Blogger Ramona Grigg said...
We're living in scary times, these. The idiots have gained the credibility that in saner times would be reserved for the wise. Your entire post is great, but this line is a keeper, a gem. Brilliant:

Why does the Catholic Church get to dictate national policy? If we're grandstanding about sharia law, how about we put Papal law under the same category?

There is a war on women and the enemy wants to go back to the old days, when taking prisoners was the accepted way of shutting us up. We're not going to let them. I'll pass this on.
7/20/11, 6:22 AM  
Blogger Infidel753 said...
Exactly -- sex is immoral (except outside a very narrow range of circumstances) and people need to be punished for it.

Notice how when fundies blather about "moral decline" it's always sex-related things -- homosexuality, pre-marital sex, things like that. The far more morally-significant improvements, like increased protection for minorities' civil rights, never get mentioned. To them, morality is just another word for sexual repression.
7/20/11, 7:43 AM  
Blogger casey said...
Hello Jill,

All I can say to those idiots is may you have 50 kids each and then repeat what you have said.
7/20/11, 10:41 AM  
Blogger Phil said...
It is readily apparent the only concern these ignorant, dumb fucking asshole sonsabitches have for babies is
(A) right after said slut had sex and got pregnant
and (B) before said slut actually gives birth.

Before or after, you are on your own honey.

I think that pretty much sums it up.
7/20/11, 7:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Their logic is that of kids that don't want to believe their parents have sex ---- that the only time a married couple has sex is when they want to have a baby. You have your desired number of kids, then no more sex!
7/21/11, 8:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
As a Catholic, I wholeheartedly advocate Papal law being put into the same category as Sharia law in not being allowed to dictate secular law. Here, here, mandatory birth control.
7/21/11, 9:11 AM  
Blogger Michael Powers said...
I've noticed that most people that wish to dictate the sexual habits of others, rarely have any themselves. Even if they're physically attractive, their nature is so vile, so disagreeable, the it precludes intimacy of any kind. At best, it would be the sexual equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard.
7/21/11, 9:34 AM  
Blogger Kaye said...
This welfare meme is a zombie that no amout of accurate information can kill.
I want to scream "Welfare doesn't exist anymore idiots except in your minds!"
7/21/11, 9:47 AM  
Blogger sunshine said...
I'm coming to believe we should have National Cross Your Legs Month. Any woman in a relationship with a man who does not believe in Planned Parenthood and insurance coverage for contraception should refrain from any kind of possibly procreational sex with said man for the entire month.

Solidarity is vital!!! If he finally gets the point, give him a whopping good time as a reward!!
7/21/11, 11:23 AM  
Blogger Leslie_Basden said...
"Why does the Catholic Church get to dictate national policy? If we're grandstanding about sharia law, how about we put Papal law under the same category?"

To go even further, social conservatives push the ten commandments as absolute laws above and beyond those constructed by modern-day legislators. Why is sharia law--which, by the way, is no threat to us despite what the tea party folks would like us to belidve--so vehemently opposed whereas the commandments are not seen as wholly separate from governance?
7/21/11, 11:32 AM  
Blogger Citizen Sane said...
Excellent piece. And I noticed the cited commenters weren't concerned about "pay (ing) for everybody else's" VIAGRA when "it's an expense they ought to be able to factor in."

For the fundies, it's all about the women "saying no", but as usual, they never discuss male responsibility for sex, or unwanted pregnancies. Their actual agenda is all about controlling females and their sexuality, and nothing scares them more than a fully sexual woman with choices. Free contraception (which is offered in the rest of the developed world) is their worst nightmare.
7/21/11, 12:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
ISN'T BAD ENOUGH THAT WE ARE FUNDING TERRORISM IN BRITISH ULSTÈR THROUGH MEDICAID?!?!?!?!?!
7/21/11, 12:53 PM  
Anonymous Dr.BDH said...
The last comment (in the post, not these comments) is self-contradictory: paying for preventive services is good because they save money, birth control saves money, therefore paying for birth control is...bad. As the kids say, epic fail.
7/21/11, 4:36 PM  
Blogger Pangolin said...
There are a LOT of people, male and female, who have never allowed themselves to have good sex. They're determined that nobody else should have good sex either.

Any true conservative should advocate for free state birth control. Hell, states should PAY you for non-reversible birth control procedures like vasectomies and tubal ligations. Because just the cost of educating one normal kid from kindergarten through high school exceeds $100k.

You'd think they'd stand on principle on these things. They're always trying to cut public school budgets.........
7/21/11, 5:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Are these people unaware that married folk, use birth control?
7/23/11, 5:13 PM  
Blogger Cirze said...
Because it's a much greater threat to our nation.

Thanks for a thoughtful essay.

If we're grandstanding about sharia law, how about we put Papal law under the same category?
7/23/11, 8:18 PM  
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