While I support encouraging people to have regular visits with a doctor for preventative care, I don’t feel that gatekeeping birth control is the right way to do it.
Public health messaging about the importance of preventative care is important, but the barrier for most is going to be access and affordability. Most people don’t have good flexibility in their lives to fit in a doctor’s appointment during regular clinic hours. The availability of off hours appointment times is extremely limited. Incentives for clinics to stay open later would help to address this barrier, but there are plenty of other logistical barriers that exist which also need to be addressed. I just don’t think holding birth control hostage is the right answer.
While I support encouraging people to have regular visits with a doctor for preventative care, I don’t feel that gatekeeping birth control is the right way to do it.
Public health messaging about the importance of preventative care is important, but the barrier for most is going to be access and affordability. Most people don’t have good flexibility in their lives to fit in a doctor’s appointment during regular clinic hours. The availability of off hours appointment times is extremely limited. Incentives for clinics to stay open later would help to address this barrier, but there are plenty of other logistical barriers that exist which also need to be addressed. I just don’t think holding birth control hostage is the right answer.