CDC Study Shows Importance of Birth Control for Women
By Jacqueline Murphy | July 3, 2013, 2:39 p.m.
Category: Birth Control, Health Care Equity
This morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of their first publication ever on the use of emergency contraception in the United States. The findings are telling!
With 11 percent of women having used emergency contraception at least once in their lives, the study showed that while usage is on the rise, repeated use of emergency contraception is extremely low.
A second study released this morning tracked trends in birth control from 1982-2010. While the fight over affordable access to birth control continues, this study reinforces the notion that almost all women (99 percent) have used birth control at some point in their lives. It’s basic, preventive health care — widely used and overwhelmingly popular.
Both of these studies reiterate the importance of expanding access to birth control to all women of reproductive age.
Birth control has played an important role in the advancement of women in the workplace, allowing them to invest in their careers and plan for their futures. In fact, research shows the pill is responsible for a third of women’s wage increases relative to men. That’s why the Affordable Care Act, which gives women affordable access to birth control with no additional co-pay, is so important. Birth control works; women just have to have access to it.
Tags: CDC, birth control, emergency contraception
