04.Jul

July 04th, 2014

US: Bosses have a say in your contraception

EDITOR:

Vanessa Ellingham

Thanks to a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States of America this week, employers can now have a say in whether to provide women with free emergency contraception as part of regular staff health provisions.

For-profit corporations, in this case Hobby Lobby, are now allowed to refuse to include emergency contraception in their plans on the basis of the CEO’s religious beliefs.

Religious organisations were already exempt from the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to provide free birth control coverage.

About two-thirds of working age American women get their health insurance through their employer. By extending this exemption to particular religious employers of secular, for-profit organisations, the Supreme Court has essentially handed the personal health decisions of these millions of women over to their bosses.

In 2012 the cost-free birth control mandate came into effect, giving 47 million American women the opportunity for more equality in family life, education and employment, through their right to choose for themselves. This decision threatens all that they gained.

Image credit: Tweeted by @NickKristof, with the caption: “The experts on women’s health on the Supreme Court who ruled today against contraception coverage. Hmm.”