The OverExplainer: This Is The Real Reason Women Need Access To Birth Control

Donald Trump and his administration inched closer to stripping women of their reproductive rights last month when they decided to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s no co-pay birth control mandate, a move that now gives employers the right to deny contraceptive coverage in their health care plans.

Not only is this an attack on women’s rights, the move — brought forth by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department — is a deliberate and calculated blow to the overall health of women, all in the name of religious freedom.

But while the ACA also allowed employers to exempt out due to religious beliefs (as 62 million women still had access to affordable birth control), the latest rule is leaving women unprotected, many of whom can’t afford birth control or who use it for reasons other than pregnancy prevention.

In this episode of The OverExplainer, we explore just how important it is for women — especially Black women, who already face major health and pay disparities in this country — to have access to affordable birth control.

For more information on birth control and how to protect women’s rights, visit www.istandwithpp.org.