Now employers may refuse employees’ birth control after the Supreme Court’s decision went into the favor of the Trump administration on Wednesday.
The decision gives employers, universities, and other entities more room to opt-out of Obamacare requirement called the “contraceptive mandate.”
Women’s health and human rights organizations have criticized the new decision as it further limits women’s access to contraception during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Some experts have even said that the decision has undermined women’s health while some policies that value men’s sexual pleasures in terms of erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra remain intact.
However, a pharmacist said it is not true that men can easily access Viagra than women can access birth control even though the decision may have health, policy, and economic consequences.
Registered pharmacist Jessica Nouhavandi, co-founder of Honeybee Health, an online pharmacy, said, “Birth control is often covered [by insurance] way more times than erectile dysfunction is.”
The Supreme Court’s decision could leave more than 126,000 women without contraception. Currently, more than 61 million women do not have to pay for birth control under Obamacare, according to the National Women’s Law Center.
Some experts pointed out that the new ruling is particularly damaging given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has already limited access to birth control. Others said the decision might negatively affect people who need birth control pills to manage certain diseases that are not associated with sexual activity.
Many people criticized the decision, stating that American healthcare policies value men’s sexual pleasure over women’s access to necessary medical care.
Most people, including some politicians, have expressed anger over social media, saying Viagra is more easily accessible and cheaper than female contraception.
However, Nouhavandi told Insider that such claims are not entirely accurate. She explained that most insurance companies, as well as employers, do not cover male enhancement drugs like Viagra.
Nouhavandi said, “Erectile dysfunction [ED] is a disease state that often falls into the lifestyle category, meaning [ED drugs] aren’t necessary, but often a choice.”
She also said Viagra, or even its generic versions, is too expensive. Viagra pills tend to be much higher than what women pay for birth control. She said generic Viagra could cost up to $400 to $500 for a month’s supply, while generic birth oral pills cost up to $25 a month. Nouhavandi said, “With pharmacies like us and with great other companies like Planned Parenthood, we have more access to birth control than before.”
