Lifestyle

My Body, My Choice: How The Supreme Court’s Decision Is A Huge Backward Step For Women’s Rights

by Amy Dickey
Stocksy

Yesterday, the Supreme Court decided that for-profit companies will not be required or obligated to pay for specific types of contraceptives for their employees, specifically Plan B and IUDs.

Due to religious beliefs, organizations like Hobby Lobby consider Plan B and IUDs to be early forms of abortion.

Employers that have the ability to restrict a woman’s rights to birth control are completely inappropriate, offensive and unprofessional. Since when does a woman's employer possess the power to make the executive decision on what type of birth control she does or does not use? This is more than just a huge invasion of privacy.

My body is my choice. What I choose to do with my body is my choice. The good and the bad things I decide to do to my body are my choice, and I am completely fine with that.

What I am not fine with is when an outside party seeks to restrict what I do with my own body. The kind of birth control I use is, quite simply, my choice.

Restricting the birth control to which women have access is not any employer’s call.

Here is the whole issue with this decision: Organizations like Hobby Lobby personally believe that certain contraceptives are considered to be early forms of abortion, so they are able to restrict these contraceptives from their female employees because it is what they believe.

However, many women use these contraceptives because they harbor different personal beliefs, like motherhood not being appropriate for them at certain points in life. Since when did a company's beliefs trump a person's own personal beliefs?

Furthermore, while some women use birth control because they do not want to get pregnant, some women use birth control for other health reasons, like lowering cancer risk, clearing acne and lessoning painful period symptoms.

Frankly, I am terrified for my healthcare and the healthcare women will receive due to the Supreme Court’s decision. If for-profit companies can opt out of providing employees with contraceptives due to religious beliefs, where will the line be drawn?

Will these for-profit companies lawfully take away women’s annual visits to the gynecologist to prevent sex before marriage? Will they restrict annual mammograms because they believe a woman’s breasts are only for her husband and her children?

Intertwining religious beliefs and healthcare is a very messy, bumpy road. A company's religious beliefs are likely not in line with all of its employees' religious beliefs.

There are so many things that society tells women not to do and the ruling regarding contraceptives is just another tack on the list. As a woman, there is always a giant finger pointing at me, showing me what is and is not considered to be appropriate.

While this Supreme Court decision does not affect me right now, I am concerned for its potential to impact me and millions of other women in the near future.

Regarding my health and my body, only I should hold the power to make the final call -- period.

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