Affordable birth control protects women

Access to affordable contraceptive coverage, which happened Aug. 1, under the new health care law, is not controversial to the 99 percent of women who use it. Right-wing members of Congress are taking advantage of the personal nature of family planning to play politics with women's health. I'm not OK with that!

The airwaves have been filled with political hyperbole about the expansion of affordable access to contraceptive coverage. Here are two real facts: 99 percent of women will use birth control at some point in their lives. The average woman spends roughly $150 to $600 a year on birth control. Now multiply that for 30 years.

I'm a registered nurse. I have witnessed the cost of not having birth control available since long before I was a nurse. I have had friends and patients whose lives have been disrupted because they couldn't afford birth control. Maybe we do have the best health care in the world - unless you can't afford it.

Nurses realize that information has the power to improve health and save lives. As a country, I hope we are done with the silly season and ready to focus on protecting women's health.

Mary Burke

Lisbon