In 2005, Congress passed The Deficit Reduction Act, which excluded 400 safety-net clinics from the low cost birth control program. Over 3 million students and low-income women have seen their birth control prices increase from $10 up to $40 to $50. Because of this price explosion, many women have had to choose between reliable birth control and other necessities
A couple weeks ago I went to Washington D.C. on a school-funded trip to lobby against the increased prices of birth control at places like Planned Parenthood that has affected numerous college students and low income women in general. On November 1st, The Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, which would “restore and protect access to discount drug prices for university-based and safety-net clinics”1,was introduced. Our group, The Jewish Women’s Forum, lobbied on behalf of the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, as we met with the staffers of Debbie Stabenow and Mike Rogers in efforts of persuading them to pass this act.
Our group is currently in the process of creating a website so that anyone can post their signature online to show Congress how many women (and men too, for that matter- there has been an increase in unwanted teen pregnancies) are affected by the increase in birth control prices. As soon as this is created, I will post it here and it would be extremely helpful if you would take an extra minute out of your time to sign the petition.
1 comment:
Wow, I didn't realize that there was that big of an increase in birth control prices! It really angers me that women are forced to pay ridiculous amounts of money to prevent pregnancy--what kind of message is this sending women (and young women especially)? Only the women who can afford birth control can have it? Unwanted pregnancies are a major problem in our society, mostly because women don't get educated about safe sex or birth control and now with this increase in the cost of it, there could be more and more of these unwanted pregnancies. I admire you for taking a stand and supporting women everywhere--for going to Washington, D.C and lobbying for this cause. I definitely look forward to this website you are working on--I will be happy to show my support and provide my signature. Hopefully slowly but surely we will be able to drop prices on birth control so it can be available for every woman!
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