nikki haleythe last candidate standing between donald trump The Republican presidential candidate insists that being “unapologetically pro-life” doesn’t make her an opponent of birth control.
“Let’s find agreement,” he urged during the Republican presidential debate in November. “Make sure you have access to birth control.”
If only consensus were that easy. In some conservative circles, contraception is as controversial a topic as abortion.And from autumn Roe vs. Wade Almost two years ago, calls for restrictions on contraception grew louder, even from the fringes of Haley’s party. Haley’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
At the same time, pollsters and former Trump advisers say support for birth control remains strong among Democratic, Republican and independent voters. kellyanne conway.Mr. Conway was one of the Republican strategists who put pressure on the party last year. Adopt contraceptive promotion measures message.
The modern anti-abortion movement began in the United States late 1960smainly led by the catholic church, opposes both abortion and most forms of contraception. However, it was not until the late 1990s and early 2000s that these two issues began to be confused. claire colemanPresident and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Associationrepresenting publicly funded family planning organizations nationwide.
“So now, if you’re against abortion, you’re effectively against contraception,” she said.
Some of them reflected confusion. In 1998, food and drug administration It was the first to approve the “morning-after” pill, a high-dose contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken immediately after intercourse. 2000, just before taking office as president bill clinton After leaving office, the FDA approved the abortion drug mifepristone. This drug, unlike the morning-after pill, can terminate an established pregnancy in its early stages.
Two and a half years later, the two drugs are still regularly confused, despite the FDA’s 2022 decision. Label changed Regarding the most common morning-after pill, we emphasize that it does not cause abortion.
Criticism of contraception has been exacerbated by the federal government’s Title X family planning program. The program provides low-cost contraception, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, and other preventive services. 3,000 Clinics nationwide. Although Title X funds were never allowed to be used for abortions, some of its major grant recipients over the decades planned parenting Some affiliates also provide abortion services (using non-federal funds).
Planned Parenthood’s participation has made Title X a target of anti-abortion forces, and Congress has not formally reauthorized the program since 1985. Funding continues in annual spending bills, but at reduced levels.
The battle over the program intensifies.supreme court Ruled in 1991 A Reagan-era regulation could require federally funded Title X clinics to stop referring patients for abortions, but the regulation never took full effect. Ta.former president donald trump imposed regulations To effectively kick family planning out of the Title X program. This rule was overturned by the Biden administration in 2021.
But not all controversy over contraception stems directly from abortion.in mid 2000s, Some pharmacists have begun refusing to fill prescriptions for the morning-after pill or even regular methods of birth control, saying it goes against their beliefs. In some cases, pharmacists refused to return written prescriptions to patients, making it difficult to obtain drugs elsewhere.
But these battles were minor skirmishes compared to the firestorm over language in the Affordable Care Act that requires insurance companies to cover FDA-approved contraceptives without requiring patients to pay upfront.
Churches and other religious organizations were not subject to this order, but The Obama administration changed the rules multiple times. Therefore, religiously affiliated organizations such as schools and hospitals do not have to pay directly for contraception; 100 Separate lawsuits are making their way through federal court.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court held that religiously affiliated organizations are not only exempt from the obligation; Some private companies may refuse to cover contraception due to religious objections.
Fast forward to 2024. Efforts to establish in state or federal law that life begins at conception — known as the “personality” law — would redefine many contraceptive methods as murder, including IUDs and many oral contraceptives. Late last week, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled: frozen embryo They are “people” and those who destroy them can be held responsible for their deaths.
“To me, a fetus is a baby,” Haley said in response to the ruling during the trial. Interview with NBC News yesterday.
Even some Republicans who do not overtly promote the false idea that contraceptives cause abortions question their value.
“I think widespread use of contraception comes at a cost.” Hadley Heath Manning conservative independent women’s forum I wrote it on new york times Last summer, it “fostered a culture of cheap sex that has caused massive confusion, pain, and regret in the world of dating and family formation.”
So much for consensus.
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