by Ashley, Youth Activist and Amplify Blogger

Representative Tom Price (R-GA) does not believe any women have EVER had problems accessing birth control. Specifically, he stated, “Bring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me on. There’s not one.”

I am a woman, a woman with a lot of privilege in my life. I have always had insurance coverage and many other resources, yet I have had challenges accessing birth control. I asked my friends on Facebook if they had experienced challenges as well. Many women responded.  You wanted to be brought women who have be left behind. Here we are, and here are the barriers we have faced.

Money 

In college my birth control cost 60 a month. That was about the same as my gas bill, or groceries for a week. Others have told me their birth control cost anywhere between two dollars to 100 dollars per month. In these tough economic times when students are burdened with increasing student debt and lack of access to good paying jobs with benefits there is little money young people can spare.

Time

I remember several times I have just been too busy to pick up my birth control on time. I have a specific memory of being in my dorm room studying for a biology test. It was around 3am and while writing a note card I realized I needed to pick up a new pack of pills the next day. I ran through my schedule for the day and there just wasn’t time to go to the health center and pick my birth control. Did I want to get an A on my test, or did I want to use my birth control properly? I always went with the A in class, resulting in skipped pills or missing whole packs. Some pharmacies would let me pick up several months at a time, which would help with this issue, but others would not.

Another friend of mine shared a story very similar. She called several pharmacies and none of them carried the contraceptive she was prescribed. She did not have a car and could only access pharmacies she could reach via the metro. In the morning she had a plane to catch, and before her flight was unable to find a pharmacy that carried her prescription. The situation left her feeling helpless and frustrated. Time and transportation were both barriers for her.


Problems with providers

Sometimes your provider is the barrier to access, too. It can be very difficult to get an appointment with your OBGYN. Usually you have to make your appointment months ahead. I had just moved to Columbus and had established a new OBGYN. By the time I was finally able to meet with her I had already gone three months without a new prescription for birth control.

One of my friends had determined with her doctor and husband before she went into labor that after the baby was born she would have an IUD put in. During labor the doctor came in to confirm this decision. She suspected in that moment her husband started to feel unsure about the decision. Based on the facial response of her husband the doctor said they should think about it more and refused to put the IUD in that day. Her strong opinion to have it put in at that time was overruled by a facial expression from her husband.

Shame

During college I went through my confirmation with the Catholic Church. During my confirmation classes I stopped taking birth control. My periods became irregular, my acne flared, and my menstrual cramps were more intense. I tried so hard to conform to the life I felt the church wanted me to live, and I ended up being spiritually, emotional, and physically exhausted.

Providers many times are the source of shaming. I have a friend who is on medication that would cause birth defects if she were to get pregnant. Therefore, her birth control was very important for her health. Her provider refused to write her a prescription because it conflicted with the provider's moral beliefs. My friend is married.

Another friend was refused an IUD by a provider, because the provider suspected that it was likely my friend would be infected with a sexually transmitted disease. The provider’s exact words were, “I don’t know your situation.” My friend is very well educated about sexual health, and now works in a family planning health center. It is one thing to counsel a patient about possible risks associated with and IUD, it is another to make perceptions about a patient’s sexual risk taking.

Challenges by insurance companies

A friend of mine was trying to figure out how much the copay for an IUD would be under her insurance. She had to call several times to get a straight answer. It ended up being covered and she only had to pay the 15 dollar visit fee. She felt that the insurance company was difficult with her because the cost for them was high compared to other methods.

Another friend had primary and secondary insurance coverage with two different companies. Both claimed they were not her primacy insurance and both refused to cover her birth control. She had to pay 100 dollars out of pocket for months until the issue was resolved. Neither company reimbursed her for the out of pocket costs she occurred.