That claim would come as a big surprise to Savita Halappanavar’s husband, who is still grieving the loss of his wife. Savita died after rushing to a hospital in Ireland when she was miscarrying at 17 weeks. The hospital refused to provide a life-saving abortion, noting that Ireland is a Catholic country.
4. Contraception puts women’s health at risk
Not content to just push for exemptions that would allow employers to block their employees’ insurance plans from covering birth control, the bishops continue to pressure the Obama administration to completely rescind the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health insurance plans cover contraception. They actually argue that contraceptives are “associated with an increased risk of a number of adverse health outcomes” and that the rule is “at war” with the ACA’s purpose of ensuring coverage for preventive medicine.
That’s a ridiculous argument given the well-documented health risks associated with unintended pregnancy, including the fact that pregnancy can worsen a preexisting health condition. And some women take contraception primarily for health purposes, such as reducing bleeding from fibroids. As the leading women’s health organization, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, put it, “[C]ontraceptives are essential health care for women.” And last, but certainly not least…
