I would like to educate you about things that I
do not think you truly understand. Emergency contraception (Ella or Plan B) do
not cause abortions. This is not an opinion it is a scientific fact plain and
simple. If you consider these drugs to cause abortions you would then also
believe that normal hormonal birth control pills cause abortion. Emergency
contraception only works to avoid pregnancy before it begins. It cannot
terminate a pregnancy after it has implanted in the uterine wall. What it does
is it prevents ovulation or fertilization. According to some Christian beliefs,
and I am assuming yours as well, life starts at conception or fertilization. If
emergency contraception makes it so fertilization and implantation does not
happen in the first place how do you consider this an abortion?
Another thing that I cannot imagine you understand is that the
16 options you cover do not work the same way or have the same effects as some
of the 4 uncovered treatments. It is kind of like choosing to cover Zyrtec and
Benedryl but not Claritan when Claritin works better or is the only option that
works at all for some patients. 3 of the 16 covered options are pretty much
non-reversible and therefore not ideal or wanted by many people wanting birth
control. 7 of them are hormonal methods and some women cannot take hormonal
birth control due to side effects (sometimes very serious ones) or
complications with other drugs. The other 6 methods that you so graciously
cover are less reliable, harder to use correctly, and often not used
consistently. Also who are you to say what health procedures and options your
employees can choose from. At what point will this stop, can companies now say
they will not cover other medical options and treatments.
Have you ever heard of endometrial cancer? It is cancer in the
uterus. Two of the most common treatments for this cancer are total hysterectomies
and the use of IUD's. Yes, IUDs although sinful in your eyes can actually help
treat cancer. A lot of times endometrial cancer patients cannot get
the surgery due to possible complications (obesity, heart problems, etc.).
Using an IUD can help stop the spread of the cancer until the surgery is
possible or can treat the cancer on its own. As I mentioned before
having a total hysterectomy is the most common treatment for endometrial
cancer, if you are unfamiliar with what a total hysterectomy is,
it is the removal of the uterus and cervix. This procedure is a
vastly riskier and more expense treatment option and after this procedure the
woman would not be able to have children. Shouldn't your employees, if put in
this dreadful situation be able to choose an option less scaring and less
dangerous, shouldn't they be able to get the treatment that would still allow
them to have children afterwards?
Another thing I would like to bring up is the argument that I
have seen around about money. Are your employees welcome to buy these
treatments with their own money? Yes, of course they are but they should not
have to. We make companies offer health care to their employees for a reason
and the US is already so much behind similar countries on health care reform. I
would like to point out that you are not being forced to buy all your employees
these treatments. You are supposed to help
pay for these treatments for the employees that need/want them. If your
employees believe like you do they will not even want to get these kinds of contraceptives?
Are you not in a way persecuting the workers that do not believe what you
believe by causing them to spend more for these contraceptives?
Finally,
I truly think that you have been misinformed about what your god would think
about this. If your religion truly follows the bible I cannot see how your
religion is your reasoning behind this decision. The bible emphasizes helping other
and being generous and kind. Philippians 2:4 says "Let each of you
look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
The bible also says in multiple ways that you should help other no matter what
and that you should give all you can to help others, like Jesus did. For
example, Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold
good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.,” or Matthew
10:8 “Heal
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without
paying; give without pay.” The bible is clear that your god intended for their
followers to act in a kind generous way and put others before themselves.
Should you not then help your employees, as part of your family (as you say),
to get the medical options and treatments that they want and need?
