Controversies over women's access to birth control

Controversies Over Women's Access Birth Control

This study focuses on the article titled "Controversies over Women's Access to Birth Control" as written by Marcia Clemmitt. The author reviews different perspectives to close down the issue of dispensing birth control. It begins with an example of a pharmacist who refused to dispense his professional duty due to moral and religious practices. He viewed birth control as an immoral vice. The author explores how access to birth control is very significant to women. The article has focused on reports highlighting how women are going for different forms of birth control. Clemmitt has also viewed people who have been on the opposing side to the act of birth control. Anti-abortion movements and religious advocates oppose this issue because it alters with the process of fertilization and implantation of an egg. The contraceptive and other birth control measures act as a barrier preventing fertilization to take place. Clemmitt also goes ahead to talk about how the government and other authorities are making efforts to tackle this issue (Clemmitt).

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In her article, Marcia Clemmitt's primary focus is on the debate against birth control, which also circulates around ethical and religious standing. These two reasons go against a person's legal right to prescription. As people get accustomed to their religious rights, they are also given the legal freedom. Many doctors and pharmacists refuse to place their sign on the birth control prescription sheet because of their religious beliefs. They deny customers the right to prescription because of their own religious beliefs. In Clemmitt's article, a pharmacist denied filling a birth control prescription for a college girl and he refused to refer the girl to another pharmacist. Both have their legal rights. As the pharmacist has his right to religious beliefs, the girl also has a right to prescription, which the pharmacist must deliver. The pharmacist could not deny the girl her need to use the birth control. In accordance with the girl's right, she could opt for any of the contraceptives she may desire (Clemmitt).

Many religious groups are against birth control because they strongly believe that this is a way of killing life. Their argument is that destroying a young life is wrong, based on moral and religion. From the article, Antiabortion Organization of Pharmacists want the law and professional associations to take up the conscience clauses. This clause the pharmacists' not to prescribe or refer customers to other pharmacists. This directly gives pharmacists the right to deny patients prescriptions because of the pharmacists' religious beliefs. The organizations of pharmacists have a mentality that women can use other measures of preventing pregnancy apart from destroying the fetus (Clemmitt).

The author claims that many teenagers use birth control for clearer skins improves the hormone imbalance or regulating period. In many cases where pharmacists refuse to fill birth control for patients, they usually do not know the reason behind the customer going for the drug. Denying patients such prescription could be causing harm to the patient. They have no reason to deny the patients these prescriptions because they do not know the reason why these patients are need of such prescription. According to this article, other forms of contraceptives such as plan B. have proven to be extremely useful in prevention of many unplanned pregnancies. Pharmacists are not usually aware of the individual reasons why women would want to use this measure of contraceptive. Research on publicly funded contraceptive services in the United States reveals that 1.94 million unwanted pregnancies have been prevented by contraceptives. Just because, the women who opt for contraception do not support the religious beliefs of pharmacists, this does not allow the pharmacists to deny the women their right to use these drugs because they do not know the underlying reasons (Clemmitt).

Another controversial issue is birth control with minors. In Clemmitt's article, the youth should not be stopped from embracing safety measures even if they are told to abstain from sex. Many schools have adopted the culture of giving birth control to children as young as 11 years old. In the article, Mike Judge argues that instead of giving these contraceptive we could opt for moral guidance and support. Her arguments are because parents giving contraception to, minors and access to abortion undermine parents. This is ironical because the youth do not want support; they are asking for birth control. Clemmitt provides that we should not deny those contraceptives based on age, but instead we should be preparing the youth how to practice safe sex. Many also fear the idea of informing parents of the youths who have decided to use birth control (Clemmitt).

The youth can be compared to adult women who have decided to use birth control. The youth just like adult women, are also entitled to their constitutional rights to privacy and their parents are not to be notified without the youth giving a go ahead. Even though, parents are supposed to be involved in their kid's welfare, they do not have the authority to permit their children to protect themselves while having sex. Many will argue that parents should have full responsibility of their children; to some extent, they should give their children a chance to decide for themselves. Instead of parents giving support to their children, contraceptives should be availed to those who need them. This article debates that birth control is prone to health issues to the youth who use them: they include blood clots. A comparison of the health risks associated with birth control and teen pregnancy proves that teen pregnancy holds much weight. We can safely conclude that many would opt for a blood clot to a baby. The article also argues that the risk of getting cancer rises by 44% if one starts taking birth control at an early age. These statistics are truly scary but not as the dramatic health risks that accompany pregnant teenagers. Instead of putting a limitation to about their safety, I think, the society should adapt to the idea of safety and education (Clemmitt).