Hillary Schneller, Fellow

As challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage provision pile up—on the theory that somehow more lawsuits equals more legal merit—the United Nations declares that access to contraception is a basic human right.

After recovering from shock that some in the United States would disagree with the United Nations (sarcasm!), take a look at some of the things the UN Population Fund report points out. Access to contraception is a fundamental part of women’s ability to make decisions for ourselves and realize other rights—including getting an education and participating in the workforce, both of which in turn improve nations’ economies. And financial, cultural, and legal barriers to contraception infringe on women’s rights.

“My IUD is amazing,” my friend Anna recently announced.  Like many women, she was on the pill for a few years, and had a brief affair with the NuvaRing.  Yet, she says, “no matter how responsible I was, and how well I remembered to take the pill at exactly the same time every day, I still had this persistent anxiety that I had somehow messed it up and was going to get pregnant.  Needless to say, I found that stressful.” 
 
When we think of contraception, we usually think of that famous little pill, the ring, or the patch.  The IUD – a little T-shaped contraceptive device – however, is making a comeback.  There’s nothing to remember to carry, take, put in, or take off.  As Anna exclaimed, “it just makes sense!  It’s there for 5 years and I don’t have to worry about it.”  The IUD also boasts an extremely low failure rate – 1% or less in the first 12 months.