The New York Times reported in 2011 that nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended and about 40 percent of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion. The report aided the U.S Department of Health and Human Services to conclude that birth control is a necessary preventative measure that should be subsidized by the government. There is little to no doubt, that providing women access to birth control is a step in the right direction for women nationwide. With the cost of preventative care going up, and the health risks associated with abortions, giving women access to free birth control would hardly seem like a bad idea. Kathleen Sebelius, secretary for health and human services, and the Obama administration hope that by providing free birth control, the government is doing its part in helping eliminate the issues associated with unwanted pregnancies. However, some are questioning if it’s necessary at all for the government to do so.
We’ve come a long way, since the early days when all you had to do to avoid an unwanted pregnancy was to close your legs. Nowadays, there are a myriad of ways women can go about avoiding bringing another human life into the world, while at the same time continue to enjoy the process of making a baby aka having sex. Which begs the question, with so many birth control options available, why then do we still have countless of foster homes filled with unwanted children? Some blame the lack of sex education in some public schools, while others criticize religions like the Catholic Church for its unwavering stance against the use of modern day birth control methods. Whatever side of the debate you happen to agree with, one thing is obvious, free birth control contraceptives isn’t going to do much good, if a portion of the American public don’t know how to use them.
Yes, giving women access to birth control methods, they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford, is part of the solution, and yes, it would benefit those that are aware of the birth control methods available to them, but what about the million other Americans who are ignorant of such methods? Free birth control isn’t going to make a difference, then. The answer then is education. Sex education should be part of every health class in public schools, nationwide. It is easy to say, “Let’s give everyone condoms,” but what is the use of those condoms, when the people they’re intended for, don’t know how to use them. Many of you religious parents may be shaking your heads right now at the idea of your child sitting in a sex education class. But, which is better? Your daughter asking you about her reproductive organs and what they do? Or having your daughter ask you to accompany her to an abortion clinic?