Monday Musings: Free Birth Control for All? (with audio)

Improving lives across the country

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With all the discussion these days about abortion, I believe another equally important topic has been pushed aside: birth control.

It's long been known that access to affordable and reliable birth control allows women to improve their social and economic status. In addition, this control over their bodies improves the community.

A report published several years ago by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) said,

Women with unintended pregnancies are more likely to receive delayed or no prenatal care and to smoke, consume alcohol, be depressed, and experience domestic violence during pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy also increases the risk of babies being born preterm or at a low birth weight, both of which raise their chances of health and developmental problems.