The recent article, “Oral contraceptives pricier than in past” suggests that oral contraceptives should be subsidized by the federal government or otherwise made more readily available to college students. I would like to point out a few of the many reasons that oral contraceptives are extremely harmful to women, making them unworthy of support from any source. Firstly, oral contraceptives are not truly medicinal. while medication is intended to restore health, oral contraceptives cause a disease, namely, infertility. the artificial hormones supplied by “the pill” may also increase risks for breast cancer, blood clots and stroke. Further, birth control pills are often prescribed as a superficial remedy which mask the symptoms of underlying medical problems. often, irregular cycles and pain are signs of reproductive health disorders such as ovarian cysts or endometreosis. more healthcare practitioners should be encouraging gynecological charting as a way to uncover the problems related to a woman’s health. For more information regarding natural fertility education, see creightonmodel.com.

Additionally, and most importantly, since lives are in the balance, oral contraceptives are abortifacients. there are several mechanisms of action, including the suppression of ovulation, alteration of mucus and the disruption of the endometrium growth cycle. when this “last defense” mechanism is required, the pill is not merely contraceptive; it can abort the newly conceived life by preventing implantation. even if employed a very small fraction of the time, the sheer number of sexually active women on the pill ensures that tens of thousands of lives are lost to this form of silent abortion each year.

Finally, oral contraceptives are not necessities. Why should taxpayer money contribute to something that simply makes it convenient for individuals to engage in voluntary behavior for which they are not willing to accept the consequences?

— Patricia Huber is a graduate student in bioengineering from Leawood.